


Girl Next Door

by Writesalott



Category: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV)
Genre: AU, College, F/M, Friendship, High School, Love, Preschool, Romance, Zax - Freeform, Zoey/Max - Freeform, grade school, timelapse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-12-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 34,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24070063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writesalott/pseuds/Writesalott
Summary: The story of a life long friendship between Max and the girl with red hair and green eyes who lives across the street. From the moment he first say her max knew she had to be important. What he didn't know at the time is just how important she would one day be to him. (Written before season 2 aired)
Relationships: Zoey Clarke & Max Richman
Comments: 89
Kudos: 46





	1. 1995

It was her eyes that drew his attention, like two clear blue pools. Then that bright red hair down to her shoulders caught the light. It was thin, maybe not quite growing out evenly, nevertheless he stared.

That is until his parents made him look away from the window. Dinner was ready and despite wanting to stay where he was Max got down off the back of the couch, put his feet on the floor before toddling over to the dinner table.

Looking at his plate wasn't nearly as good as looking at her. Max moved the pea around with the end of his fork, his attention still otherwise occupied. He wanted to ask mommy who that girl was, but didn't know how to say it right. He tried a few times, but they didn't get what he was trying to say. Adults always did this in Max's opinion then they would say something like 'you'll understand when you're older' which never made any sense because it seemed to Max that all growing up meant was being bad at understanding things.

And then they were talking about tomorrow. Max wasn't excited about it and he really didn't want to talk about it, but still his parents went on. Whatever this 'preschool' thing was Max wanted no part in it. He didn't understand why he couldn't just stay here. It was where he'd always been as long as he could remember and Max could remember quite a way back he was sure. Why Max could even remember when dad's couch had been under the window instead of the back wall! That had been quite the change around here. Yes, Max was sure he was old enough to decide not to go to this dreaded preschool.

So how was it that he still ended up standing on the front steps of that strange building watching his parents walk away. Didn't they want him anymore? Why were they leaving?

He wouldn't go inside. He'd stay right here and wait for them to come get him. Because they would come back, right?

Another grown up told him to come inside with a smile on her face, but Max just sat down firmly on the ground. He would not be moved. Despite his determination the next moment he found himself being lifted up into the air and carried inside. He was wiggling with all his might, trying to make her put him down. What if his parents came back and he wasn't there? How would they find him?

By the time his feet touched the ground, Max didn't know how to get back to that front step. The way they'd come through was closed now and there was more than one door it could have been. His parents would look for him, right? They wouldn't just give up if he wasn't sitting right where they left him?

"There isn't that better," the grown up who called herself teacher said. "Now take your shoes off and then you can go play with the other children."

Max was fully prepared to leave his shoes on and sit down right where he stood, never to move again, when he saw her. That girl with the curly red hair was just on the other side of the room, playing with some blocks.

For the moment distracted, Max ditched his shoes and walked over to her. He didn't get that close but instead starred at the block she was moving with her hands.

"See they go in holes that right shape," the girl said as if speaking to him. And then she put a square block into a square hole. "You try."

And Max did. First he looked at them, making sure he got it right before lifting a shape with a few extra sides than a square and placing it in a hole with the same number of sides. It went in easily.

"You got it!" the girl said with a little giggle.

As he listened to her laugh Max realized he wanted her to be happy all the time and always laugh just like that.

"I'm Max," he said to her looking up at her face instead of the blocks.

"Zoey," she replied.

"Will you be my friend?" he asked.

"Uh huh," Zoey said with a nod.

"What do friends do together?" Max asked.

"I think they draw," Zoey said, pointing to a table on their right.

"I draw at home sometimes," Max said. "But today is my first day of preschool. Is drawing different in preschool?"

"Don't think so," Zoey said. "But we could go find out." Max agreed and they made their way to the table.

Max picked up a red crayon and tried to make marks on the paper in the same shape as Zoey's hair, but it just looked like lines to him. Zoey didn't look like lines. So instead he decided to make lines on purpose, picking up a purple crayon when he was done with the red because it was the closest.

"I like yours," Max said looking over at the lines on Zoey's paper.

"Thanks," Zoey said beaming. Max liked it when she smiled.

"Preschool drawing is just like home drawing," Max said happily.

"Only more colours," Zoey remarked. "And no annoying brother." Zoey stuck her tongue out and made a raspberry sound to show her appreciation for said brother.

"How he annoying?" Max asked.

"Gets all the best stuff," Zoey whined. "Cause he's older. Always picking me up when I don't want hugs."

"Sometimes adults don't understand stuff," Max agreed.

"He no adult," Zoey added. "Just thinks he is."

"I'm glad I don't have a brother," Max remarked. From what Zoey said it seemed like Max had it good at home with just mommy and daddy.

"Yeah you lucky," Zoey agreed. She looked down at her drawing. "I'm done." She got up and Max followed behind, more interested in being near her than whatever his drawing looked like.

"Best part of preschool," Zoey said, pointing to the only other table in the room apart from the drawing table. "Wa'er. And the boat go across, you make path so boat don't get stuck."

"Like this," Max said as he lifted a plastic flattened block and put it in a slock. The effect was that the flowing water on the table changed direction to avoid the block.

"Yeah," Zoey said. "Again like that until boat goes one side to other side."

"We can do it," Max agreed as they got to work.

By the time the teacher called everyone to come to the circle for sharing time, Zoey and Max had built a very effective water way if he did say so himself. Max felt very proud of their little creation as he followed Zoey to the center of the classroom. Max sat beside his friend in the circle before the teacher started talking.

"I'm going to go around the room and get everyone to share their favourite thing about preschool today," the teacher said. "Starting with you Zoey."

"Water table," Zoey said right away.

"Blocks," the kid next to her said.

"Drawing."

When they'd been around the whole circle it was finally Max's turn.

"And what about you Max," the teacher said with a smile. Teacher lady actually seemed quite nice now that Max had given her a chance. "What was your favourite thing about your first day of preschool?"

"Zoey," Max said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading the first chapter of my new story!  
> This story starts, as you can tell, with Max at about age three or four and will keep going all the way past college. It's a story of a lifelong friendship slowly turning into something else.   
> All chapters will have a year at the top to let you know if there has been a time skip. Some chapters will have a significant time jump while others only a year or matter of months.   
> I know this chapter is very short, but as their lives get more interesting (because how much can you really write about three year olds) the chapters will get longer.  
> \-----------------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter Two
> 
> On a sudden impulse, Max jumped up off the side of the road and began walking along the every edge of the curb, holding his arms out to keep his balance.
> 
> "It's only like what three inches to fall," Zoey giggled at him. "What's with the balance beam arms."
> 
> "Don't knock it till you try it," Max replied.
> 
> And like he knew she would, Zoey complied, walking behind him with her arms out. Zoey had always found time to tease him, though in the end she followed where he led the same way he followed her.
> 
> "Fun right?" Max asked. Zoey agreed and they walked like that all the way till the end of the block until the curl ended and they were forced to walk on the road again  
> \-----------------------------------  
> Beta: Tina Geller from fanfic.net


	2. 2001

2001

Max's favourite time of day was when he got to hang out with his best friend Zoey. And on days like today, with the sun shining and the birds chirping, that meant walking home from school. Zoey's family had lived across the street from his house for as long as Max could remember and he could remember quite a ways back or so it seemed to him. He could even remember first grade and not everyone did. Still Max liked fourth grade much better than first. Sure, there was more homework, but not nearly as many things to do. He hadn't even had his gaming console back in grade one. Weekends must have been a real drag back then. But the best thing of all about fourth grade was that after months of asking Max had finally got permission to walk home from school without his parents.

Zoey had been walking home from school for ages, but for some stupid reason Max's parents had thought he still needed a ride. It wasn't even really that far anyway and if Zoey was walking then Max wanted to walk with her.

"I almost can't believe they said yes," Zoey said as they put their first steps off school properly and onto the sidewalk.

"Me neither!" Max exclaimed thrilled. He turned, grinning to look at her.

Zoey still had the same beautiful red hair she's always had. Though it was thicker now and came down to her shoulders, it still had a curl in it. Her eyes were brilliant blue which today matched the colour of her sweater. Zoey always wore sweaters to school even when it wasn't cold. Max didn't quite understand why, but as long as she wasn't uncomfortable he supposed it didn't matter.

"So what do you wanna do tonight?" Zoey asked.

"Movie?" Max offered. "Dad bought popcorn yesterday."

"Nice," Zoey said. "Sounds like a plan. So long as we can agree on a movie."

"We've managed it up until now haven't we?"

"True," she replied, turning to narrow her eyes at him. "Though sometimes I think you just cave and let me pick."

Max gasped in mock horror. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing," he said, but it was hard to keep the grin off his face.

"You're just the worse," Zoey laughed, punching him in the shoulder.

"Ow," Max said, laughing.

On a sudden impulse, Max jumped up off the side of the road and began walking along the very edge of the curb, holding his arms out to keep his balance.

"It's only like what three inches to fall," Zoey giggled at him. "What's with the balance beam arms?"

"Don't knock it till you try it," Max replied.

And like he knew she would, Zoey complied, walking behind him with her arms out. Zoey had always found time to tease him, though in the end she followed where he led the same way he followed her.

"Fun right?" Max asked. Zoey agreed and they walked like that all the way until the end of the block when the curl ended and they were forced to walk on the road again.

They talked about movies the rest of the way, trying to come up with one to watch. When their houses came into view they both stopped dead and turned to face each other.

"Rock, paper, scissors," They both said at the same time.

"Ha," Zoey exclaimed. "Scissors cut paper." She laughed then added. "You are so predictable."

Yesterday she'd beaten him with rock so he'd decided on paper today, but Max was starting to think that he was just doomed to never win rock paper scissors for as long as he lived. That is, at least, when he was playing with Zoey.

"Yeah yeah," Max sighed. "So pick."

"I pick your house," Zoey said like she always did when she won.

"You know the whole point of this whole 'winner gets to pick' thing is that the winner can pick their own house," Max said as they turned towards his place.

"Yeah, but my house doesn't have your dad's dvd collection," Zoey shrugged. "And you mentioned something about popcorn."

Max raised an eyebrow at her "And," he inquired.

"And my brother is having a bunch of friends over today and will probably want to hog the tv," Zoey shrugged.

"Fair," Max laughed.

"There are good things about having an older brother," Zoey added. "But sharing the tv isn't one of them."

"Well, he is seventeen," Mas added. "Maybe older means first dibs on the TV?"

"In that case I'd like to request a birth order change," Zoey chuckled. "So I can claim first dibs on the TV."

"But then we wouldn't be in the same grade," Max said, sulkily.

"No silly, he'd get born later," Zoey explained. "But I'd be the same age."

"That works for me," Max agreed as they walked through his front door.

Zoey dumped her backpack in it's usual spot and went straight for the fridge. "Got any soda?" she asked.

Max smiled to himself. Zoey hadn't been a guest in this house for a very very long time.

"Try the pantry," Max said.

"Warm soda," Zoey replied, making a face.

"Just add ice," Max said, rolling his eyes.

Max called out to his parents and got an answer from his mother. He figured dad was still at work. He checked in, telling her Zoey was here to watch a movie. His mother replied by staying dinner would be at six and as always Zoey was welcome to join them. Then Max returned to the living room to find his best friend already sitting on his couch drinking soda with a bowl of popcorn in her lap.

"Such a good kid you are," Zoey laughed. "Checking in." She was using her teasing voice and Max knew she was just trying to get a reaction out of him.

"Did you even tell your parents you were coming over here?" Max asked.

Zoey shrugged. "This is always the first place they check before declaring me missing."

"Oh shut up," Max scoffed, shoving her a little and stealing her popcorn. "I know you told them before you left for school this morning."

"Na uh," Zoey countered. "I'm a rebel."

"A rebel who doesn't wanna get grounded or make her family worry," Max replied, grinning. He knew her too well.

"We gonna watch the movie or not?" Zoey asked. The pre-menu trailers were already rolling, so Max gave in and turned his attention to the screen, only occasionally deviating to steal more popcorn.

By the time the movie ended his dad was home and mom was calling them to dinner. Zoey joined them at the table, talking the whole while about how awesome the movie was and how grateful she was for his father's DVD collection.

After dinner, his parents said no more TV until they did their homework so they begrudgingly collected their forgotten backpacks and opened their books.

"I hate homework," Zoey said as she looked through the pages in front of her to find the one they'd been assigned that morning. "I mean I like school and even learning stuff is kinda great, but why they gotta make me keep learning stuff after I get home."

"It's a mystery," Max replied.

"At least I can do it here," Zoey smiled. "With you."

"Yeah," Max agreed. "I like homework more when it's with you too." They were silent for a while after that, only breaking the quiet to ask homework related questions as needed.

By the time they'd finished their worksheets it was late and Zoey had to go home. Max gave her a hug before she left, closing the door behind her. Then he went to the window and watched as she walked safely across the street to her own front door. It was strange, but sometimes he worried that if he didn't watch her walk, she wouldn't get home safely. Not that he'd ever say that out loud or anything, but it was good to check and make sure she got home safe.

"Mom," Max said, turning to face his mother who was sitting at the table going over some paperwork.

"Yes Max," she said.

"If I had a sister would it be kinda like having a Zoey?"

"I don't know honey," his mother replied. "Does she feel like your sister?"

"I don't know either," Max shrugged. "I don't have a sister to compare her too."

His mother got up and walked over to hug him. Max reached up to hug her back.

"You and Zoey have been inseparable since preschool sweetheart," his mother said. "In fact, according to your teacher she's the reason you stopped kicking and screaming and chose to embrace preschool. I remember you were so determined not to go." She laughed. "You got that stubborn look on your face and sat yourself down determined to stay home."

"I did?" Max asked.

"Yep," his mother smiled. "I, for one, am very glad you met Zoey." She kissed the top of his head.

"Me too, mom," Max replied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Please leave me a comment and let me know. Also I already have two more chapters after this one written and many more planned. So more coming very soon!
> 
> As many of you will know if you read my other stories I am a bit of a spaz when it comes to updating. Writesalott isn't just my username. I actually do write a lot! Just check out the publication and completion dates on my stories and you'll understand. lol. I usually have a beta but this story (apart from chapter one) is being published unedited. Hope my typos are too bad and thanks again for reading.  
> \----------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter Three
> 
> They talked casually as they walked, mostly of school but also some movies they wanted to watch on the weekend and a new game for his console.
> 
> "Weekends never come soon enough," Max added.
> 
> "And rarely last long enough," Zoey sighed.
> 
> "Though I suppose it could be worse," Max mused. "We could get no weekends."
> 
> Zoey stopped walking and turned to face him looking very serious. "Don't even joke," she said.
> 
> Max couldn't help laughing at the look on her face.
> 
> They reached the school and had to go their separate way for homeroom since they unfortunately didn't have all their classes together. It had to be Max's least favourite thing about high school: all the topics being separated into different classes.


	3. 2005

Boring brown eyes and dull black hair stared back at him. Without the beard he couldn't grow his face looked too round. Baby face people would call him if they were seeing what he was seeing. And the cherry on top, pimples breaking out on his forehead. Urg. Why did he keep looking in the mirror again?

Max turned away. He would brush his teeth without his reflection today.

At least when Zoey looked at him she didn't seem to see what he saw. If she was seeing every flaw he was sure she'd have said something or he'd have been able to see it in her expression. Then again maybe she was just doing that best friend thing and ignoring his pimples out of the goodness of her heart. Max only wished she'd have pimples too so he wouldn't feel so self-conscious about his.

Max finished getting ready for school and headed out his front door to meet up with his best friend on the lawn so they could walk together.

As she came into view he knew in an instant that he was wrong. Zoey with pimples wouldn't have helped. She was meant to be the way she was. His fixed point. His rock. The most constant thing in his life. Beautiful Zoey without pimples.

"You're late," Zoey said as he walked up.

"Had a disagreement with my mirror," Max laughed.

"I hope you told that mirror whose boss," Zoey chuckled back.

"Actually I think I lost," Max replied.

"Let me know next time you need backup," Zoey smiled. "And I'll be there to defend you against menacing mirrors."

"Thanks," Max smiled.

"Hey, what are best friends for," Zeoy replied with a shrug.

"Having your back in any situation," Max finished her sentence, a smile breaking out over his face.

"Couldn't have put it better myself," Zoey grinned back.

Max laughed. "That's because you were the one who said it," he reminded her.

"Exactly," Zoey replied. "And I know better than to argue with myself."

Max was still laughing as they began their walk. They talked casually as they made their way to school, mostly of classes but also some movies they wanted to watch on the weekend and a new game for his console.

"Weekends never come soon enough," Max added.

"And rarely last long enough," Zoey sighed.

"Though I suppose it could be worse," Max mused. "We could get no weekends."

Zoey stopped walking and turned to face him looking very serious. "Don't even joke," she said.

Max couldn't help laughing at the look on her face.

They reached the school and had to go their separate way for homeroom since they unfortunately didn't have all their classes together. It had to be Max's least favourite thing about high school: all the topics being separated into different classes. He used to learn every topic in the same room. Now everyday, four times a day, Max had to navigate halls full to bursting with kids just to get to his next class four times a day and to top it off he only had five minutes or he'd be late.

Max was sure it had been the constant sense of chaos that was high school that had caused him to black out all of eight grade. But now in the ninth grade Max felt a little more sure of himself and he wasn't the new kid anymore which was always a relief.

Though thanks to Zoey, Max could never remember feeling alone at school before. Even when he'd been the new kid or the 'too short to see over the crowd' kid, Zoey had always been there by his side.

And so she would be again after homeroom, because they had English together. Then he had gym and she had Social Studies and then Math together after lunch. He and Zoey always walked home together so all in all he didn't have that much to complain about, even with the separate classes.

What he did want to complain about was the homework. Long ago were the days of worksheets, now there were essays to write and very heavy textbooks to haul around. But again it wasn't so bad, because he and Zoey had a system. It involved being honest about how much actual homework you'd get done that night and only bringing the bare minimum of textbooks. Plus they took turns carrying them in the better load bearing of their two backpacks.

When the bell finally rang, Max packed up his things and gratefully headed to his locker.

Just as she always was Zoey stood there to greet him.

"She gave us textbook homework," Zoey whined when her social studies class got out. "I only need one page but it's not like I can rip it out."

"Maybe you could get a photocopy in the library," Max suggested.

"Oh that's perfect," Zoey said. Then she turned to him. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd have a heavier backpack," Max chuckled.

"I'll meet you in Math," Zoey said and with that she ran off.

Max collected his math text and binder and slowly made his way down the hall. Zoey was actually much better at math than he was, but she didn't brag about it.

Once he reached the classroom Max watched the clock, thinking the whole time that he should have told her to wait and copy the page after school. Thankfully Zoey ran into class just under the wire and sat, slightly out of breath in the desk beside him.

"You crazy," Max whispered at her as the lesson began. Zoey just laughed softly as she opened up her books to take down the notes for the day.

After the lecture came work time in which Max always tried to get as much of his homework done as possible so that he'd have more time to play video's games at home. It was a philosophy Zoey shared which is why teachers let them sit together.

When the bell rang Max had all the questions he hadn't finished copied down so he wouldn't need to bring his textbook home and there weren't even that many of them left. Today was a good day for video games.

"How many you got left," Zoey asked as they made their way back to the lockers.

"Ten," Max said. "You?"

"Three," Zoey replied casually in that non-bragging way she always did which he appreciated. "But I have Social studies homework that you don't have."

"This is true," Max smiled.

School being over for the day, Max gathered up all the papers they needed for homework tonight, putting them in a folder, and placing the rest back in the locker for tomorrow.

"Ready?" she asked when she had everything as well. Max nodded.

Walking home with Zoey was always the same, but never dull. Max wondered sometimes if he would even recognize his life without her in it.

They reached the house and for once Max won the rock, paper scissors. He chose Zoey's place since it had been a while since they'd been there. They settled in for their usual Monday video game night, when Zoey's mother, Maggie, came over to sit with them. This was definitely not a normal occurrence. Zoey paused the game and turned to face her mother.

"What's up mom?" Zoey asked.

"Your brother called us today," her mother replied with a smile.

"And…" Zoey said slowly, trying to get her to a point.

"Well you know how Andrew brought that girl up to visit last Christmas?" she continued. Zoey nodded. "Well he called to tell us today that she said yes and they're getting married."

"Cool," Zoey said, clearly not seeing how this affected her.

"I know you're a little old to be a flower girl," her mother continued. "But your brother said he wanted you to be a part of his wedding."

"Flower girl," Zoey groaned. "Come on, little kids are flower girls. I'm not a kid anymore, mom."

"You will always be my baby," her mom smiled in that annoying yet loving way that parents did. "Whether you are three or thirteen."

"Thirteen mom," Zoey whined. "I'm thirteen."

"And growing up so fast," Maggie sighed.

"Isn't it good enough that I just go to the wedding," Zoey offered. "Why do I have to do the baby job?"

"Alright fine," her mother said. "But if you go as a guest you'll need a plus one." She grinned and looked at Max.

"No problem," Zoey said, turning back to the movie. "Got my number one best friend all lined up."

Max froze. Weren't weddings the kind of things you take dates to, not best friends? But she had used the word friend so maybe he was just being paranoid.

"I'll call and tell Andrew that his little sister has refused to be part of his wedding," Maggie said.

"Don't lay on the guilt mom," Zoey groaned. "Please. Andrew will totally get it."

"His own sister forsaking him," Maggie said dramatically.

"Mom," Zoey whined. "You're so embarrassing."

Maggie laughed, leaned forward and kissed the top of her daughter's head before leaving them to their video games.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? Hopefully you can keep up with the fast updates. I just wrote most of this story in one night and have no patience whatsoever. :)  
> \--------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter four
> 
> "Oh so you are awake," Zoey laughed at him. "From that look on your face I thought you were sleeping." Max just went for the awkward smile and thankfully she seemed to think that was enough. "Not that I can blame you, I mean this wedding is super boring."
> 
> "I'm sure your brother doesn't think it's boring," Max replied.
> 
> "Well yeah of course, it's his wedding," Zoey answered looking at him as though he were thick. "I'm just glad the ceremony is over. At least at the reception there's food."
> 
> "This is very true," Max agreed.
> 
> They were sitting at a table near the long groom and brides table at the front with Mitch and Maggie sitting across from them.
> 
> The reception was being held in a great hall with high ceilings and big windows. There were huge and rather lovely flower arrangements all over the room, but with Zoey's dress to focus on Max had barely taken note of the wedding decorations.


	4. 2006

2006

Though he knew Zoey had invited him here today as her friend, Max couldn't help feeling like her date due to the tux he was currently wearing. He also would have felt more like just a friend if he could keep his eyes off Zoey for more than thirty seconds. Though he considered that particular sin not totally his fault given what she was wearing. Zoey had on a light wavy dress with spaghetti strap shoulders and a v shaped neckline. The fabric was a deep aqua blue with a lighter coloured beaded accessory piece between the top and the wavy part of the dress. Apparently it was called an empire waistline which as far as he was concerned just meant it was higher up than a normal waistline so why didn't they just call it a high waistline?

Never before in his life had Max given a woman's article of clothing so much attention. It was just that the colour of her dress contrasted so boldly with the bright red of her hair he couldn't look away.

"Max," Zoey's voice popped his bubble.

"Yeah," he said, trying his best to pull his mind back.

"Oh so you are awake," Zoey laughed at him. "From that look on your face I thought you were sleeping." Max just went for the awkward smile and thankfully she seemed to think that was enough. "Not that I can blame you, I mean this wedding is super boring."

"I'm sure your brother doesn't think it's boring," Max replied. Every boring moment of this wedding was totally worth it to see Zoey in that dress, not that he had the nerve to tell her that.

"Well yeah of course, it's his wedding," Zoey answered looking at him as though he were thick. "I'm just glad the ceremony is over. At least receptions have food."

"Just as soon as it's served," Max agreed.

They were sitting at the long table at the front of the room though quite a ways from the happy couple. Mitch and Maggie were sitting closer to the newlyweds as they were expected to give toasts.

The reception was being held in a great hall with high ceilings and big windows. There were huge and rather lovely flower arrangements all over the room, but with Zoey's dress to focus on Max had barely taken note of the wedding decorations.

"I just wish we could try the champagne," Zoey said, loud enough for her parents to hear her.

"When you're older," both Maggie and Mitch said together.

"Yeah yeah," Zoey groaned.

"Do you wanna go walk around before dinner?" Max asked.

"I suppose," Zoey sighed. "I mean at least it would be something to do."

"Just remember to be back before they serve dinner," Maggie reminded them. Zoey agreed and, pulling Max along by the arm, left the table.

"We could go check and see if there are any cool features to the edge of the room," Max offered. "Like a decoration that isn't wedding themed so they covered it up." He stopped to stare at the ceiling for a moment. "This place seems kinda old like it could have some real stories to tell and not just about weddings."

"Or," Zoey said in a whisper looking back at her parents as if checking to make sure they couldn't be overheard. "We could go get ourselves some champagne."

"Bad idea," Max replied.

"Oh come on," Zoey continued almost in a pleading voice. "Just a sip. They won't find out."

"I'm not so sure," Max replied cautiously. "Sometimes I think when you become a parent you get this like sixth sense about when your kids are doing things they aren't supposed to."

"Chicken," Zoey grinned and then she was off and Max couldn't do anything but follow her.

They moved past tables and around chairs, as Zoey searched for an abandoned champagne flute since no one on the catering staff would actually give them alcohol. Max had just finished internally reassuring himself that she'd never find one, when Zoey's gasp of surprise spiked his anxiety levels.

She'd been right in front of him a moment ago, but now Zoey was nowhere to be seen. Max headed in the direction of her gasp and found himself standing in front of a huge flower arrangement sitting on a small table with a white table cloth.

"Max," Zoey's soft whisper came from nearby though he couldn't figure out from where.

"Yeah," Max whispered to the open air.

"Good I thought those were your shoes," Zoey's voice continued. "Get under here."

"Under where?" Max asked, confused and then he felt a hand touch his lower leg. Max just barely managed to contain his yelp of surprise as he realized exactly where she was. His leg was released and he walked around the flower arrangement and ducked under the floor length tablecloth and out of sight.

And there was Zoey, crotched under the table in that amazing dress of hers, holding up one full glass of champagne.

"Victory!" Zoey said. Zoey brought the glass to her lips and took a sip, then promptly made a face. "Gross," she said.

"There you had a sip," Max reasoned. "So now we can leave it here, go back to our table and no one will be the wiser."

"Oh no," Zoey grinned. "It's your turn." And she held the flute of bubbly amber liquid to him. Max took it though reluctantly. "Go on try it!" Zoey's voice was low in volume but full of excitement.

Max looked down at the bubbles before him. It didn't look all that bad and it actually smelled okay, but the moment it made contact with his mouth he understood perfectly the expression on Zoey's face a moment ago.

"Burns," Max commented, making a face.

"Tingles too," Zoey added. "My turn." And she took it back and had another sip and made another face. Then it was in Max's hand again.

"I thought you said one sip?" Max asked, raising his eyebrow at her, not that she could see that given how dark it was under the table.

"Oh come on," Zoey grinned. "It's not like we are each having one. A sip at a time, half a glass each. What's the harm?"

Max sighed, but complied. How could he say no to her? Besides he knew she'd do it even if he said no which would only result in her drinking the whole thing on her own.

They continued taking turns drinking the champagne until the flute was empty.

"How do you feel?" Zoey asked him.

"Fuzzy," Max replied.

"Me too," Zoey grinned. And then she leaned closer and rested her head on Max's shoulder. Max froze, afraid that she'd lean back if he moved so much as a muscle.

"Max," Zoey said softly. "You like being my friend?"

"Yeah," Max said with genuine joy. "I love it."

"Friend for life then," Zoey demanded. "No matter what the world throws at us, we're gonna be okay, right?"

"Right," Max agreed. "I'll always be here if you need me."

"I appreciate that," Zoey sighed softly as she moved even closer to him.

Max couldn't explain the feeling he was having even to himself. All he knew was that he liked Zoey being close to him. He liked that she let him put an arm around her as they sat there under the table, warm and sleepy from the champagne.

"Zoey," Max whispered, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," she mumbled.

"You look beautiful in your dress tonight," he said, unsure where he'd found the courage to say what he'd been thinking since he'd first caught sight of her tonight.

"Thanks," Zoey smiled. "Mom picked out the dress, but I got veto powers on the ugly one so it worked out."

"I highly doubt any dress could be ugly on you," Max continued. "You'd look beautiful in a paper bag."

"Would not," Zoey argued.

"Would so," Max replied smiling.

"Would not," Zoey argued again.

"Would so," Max replied, still smiling.

"You're so silly," Zoey told him. And Max could live with that. He squeezed her a little where his arm rested around her shoulders.

Max wanted to feel this way forever. He couldn't describe it and he didn't want it to end. But how long could Zoey and him sit under this table before the world made them move? Not long enough, Max was sure.

He focused on her slow even breathing, tuning out the general noise of the wedding around them. At that moment it was like nothing existed except for Zoey, like she was the whole world and Max just lucky enough to orbit her.

He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but eventually Zoey stirred.

"Max," Zoey mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Why are we still under this table?"

"You just looked so comfy," Max smiled. "I hated to move you."

"I think I fell asleep," Zoey yawned. "But we should go back. They'll be serving dinner soon."

Slowly, reluctantly, Max complied, getting out from under the table and turning to check that Zoey was out too. When he finally stood up to get his bearings and figure out which direction the table was, Max saw him.

Standing there in front of them was Zoey's dad with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Daddy," Zoey said, with a hiccup.

"Hmmm," Mitch said slowly. "Flushed cheeks, distant expressions, guilty faces, either you two were making out under there or…" He stopped to move slightly closer and add, "you were drinking the champagne."

If Max's cheeks hadn't already been flushed from the alcohol he'd had gone red all over again at her dad's mentioning of their making out. Max had never so much as attempted to kiss a girl and he had absolutely no idea at what level kissing turned into making out!

"The first one," Zoey said confidently, but Mitch still looked dubious.

"Max's face gives you away," Mitch said.

"It was just one glass," Zoey whined, clearly switching to pleading as lying hadn't worked. "We shared it, hardly much at all."

"Ah but on an empty stomach," Mitch added. "Trust me it's enough."

"Don't blame Max," Zoey said. "It was my idea."

Mitch laughed. "Trust me," he said. "That was obvious." He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and began guiding them towards the table. "Food is what you tipsy kids need. They've already served dinner. And then your mom and I will decide what your punishment should be."

"I told you," Max whispered to Zoey as they walked. "Sixth sense."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I'm been updating this story super fast up until now because I actually had everything till now written before I started updating. This is where that ends. I have the next chapter a good way started but not finished yet. I still to keep updating regularly just not exactly sure about the how regularly anymore. The longest I've ever gone without updating anything is about a month but hopefully it won't be that long. Yikes!  
> \----------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 5
> 
> Zoey giggled at him, but didn't have anything else to say on the topic. Books in hand and locker already closed, she turned to head down the hallway and he followed. "How are the college applications going?" she asked instead.
> 
> "Fine I guess," Max replied. "Still doesn't feel real though. I mean in what like three months we won't even come back to this school?"
> 
> "I know what you mean," Zoey sighed. "It's like we've been here forever and now suddenly they decide we can leave? Who made up that rule?"
> 
> "Crazy people," Max said. "That's who."
> 
> "And by that you mean adults," Zoey laughed. Max chuckled along with her. Reaching the intersection of the hallway, they had to go their separate ways to their first class.


	5. June 2010

June 2010

It had finally happened; Max had a beard. It felt like a right of passage or something. That fact that he was graduating from high school in just a few weeks didn't feel nearly as significant as the hair growing suddenly even and thick on his face.

"I don't like it," were the first words out of his best friend's mouth the next day when he showed up to school. "Your face looks all wrong."

"That's just cause you're used to seeing it all smooth and boyish," Max replied, as he closed his locker and turned to face her. "This is a man's face."

Zoey giggled at him, but didn't have anything else to say on the topic. Books in hand and locker already closed, she turned to head down the hallway and he followed. "How are the college applications going?" she asked instead.

"Fine I guess," Max replied. "Still doesn't feel real though. I mean in what like three months we won't even come back to this school?"

"I know what you mean," Zoey sighed. "It's like we've been here forever and now suddenly they decide we can leave? Who made up that rule?"

"Crazy people," Max said. "That's who."

"And by that you mean adults," Zoey laughed. Max chuckled along with her. Reaching the intersection of the hallway, they had to go their separate ways to their first class.

This last semester Max and Zoey both had two spares and were talking an elective and core course each though none of them together. If it hadn't been for those spare blocks Max wouldn't have seen much of his best friend their last semester of high school, which would have sucked.

The best thing about their spare blocks as far as Max was concerned was when one or both of them fell at the end of the day so instead of spending an hour in the library doing homework they just went home early.

Today was one on those great days and just a few short hours after walking into his first class, Max was meeting his best friend outside by the benches before they walked home.

"You know one of us should really have a car by now," Zoey whined.

"With what money?" Max laughed.

"You know," Zoey said. "Our money."

"Acquired with what employment?" Max smirked.

"Oh hush," Zoey laughed.

"Besides it really isn't that far," Max added. "And I like walking with you."

"I know," Zoey said. "Me too. It just sometimes feels like we are the only seniors without wheels."

"Ah but we are also the only senior with free weekends to relax and play video games."

"Good point," Zoey laughed. "Much more important."

"At least we have cell phones now," Max counted. "I like how mine flips open and closed."

"Yeah I know you do!" Zoey shot back. "Ever since you got that thing you've been trying to make my ears bleed clicking it back and forth. I wouldn't be surprised if one day it just broke in half."

"Hey, that's what they are designed to do," Max defended his habit. "And I like the noise."

"Well either way you know our parents only got us phones so they can reach us at any time," Zoey continued her earlier point. "It wasn't like they wanted us to be hip or cool or anything. They just wanted to be able to check in on us like little stalkers."

"You mean like parents," Max laughed. "Besides it's fun texting from across the room."

"Fun but not rather pointless," Zoey agreed.

"Not totally pointless," Max disagreed. "Especially if I don't want to get up."

"So lazy!" Zoey laughed, shoving him a little.

"Hey don't knock it till you try it," Max chuckled.

They walked in silence for a while after that, enjoying each other's company and the sounds of summer. Max couldn't stop his mind from wandering though he was working hard to hide his disappointment. After so many years wishing he could grow a beard finally it was here and she didn't even like it.

"So you really don't like the beard, huh?" Max checked a while later, unable to let it go.

"Nope," Zoey replied firmly. "You don't look like my Max with a beard."

"Your Max?" he asked laughing.

"You know what I mean," Zoey replied dismissively. "I've known you practically my whole life and all that time your chin has been pink. Dark brown is the wrong chin colour for you."

"I see," Max laughed, suddenly feeling better about her not liking his beard. "Well then I guess I'll just have to shave it off."

"You don't have to listen to me," Zoey reminded him. "It's your face."

"Ah yes but you have to look at it," Max replied.

"Still doesn't make it up to me," Zoey told him firmly.

Max smiled to himself but didn't say anything. He knew she was wrong; it was definitely up to her.

Zoey sighed. "Wanna do something tonight?"

"You mean other than the usual movie and homework?" Max asked.

"Yeah," Zoey replied. "We could check out that arcade maybe. I'd even settle for the park. Just something different."

"Never settle," Max told her. "Arcade it is."

"Nothing wrong with settling with little stuff," Zoey told him like she always did when he brought up the topic.

Reaching the end of the street they turned towards the arcade instead of the usual way home. It was a lovely walk. Max couldn't blame her for not walking to be inside on a day like today. The sun was shining high in the sky and the sky was a clear light blue. Yet despite the beauty of the day Zoey wasn't smiling.

"Is something bothering you?" Max asked. "Apart from my beard that is."

"I don't know," Zoey said. "I just have this strange feeling."

"Our whole lives are about to change forever after graduation," Max reminded her. "Could it be that?"

"Yeah that's gotta be it," Zoey replied with a smile. Though from her eyes Max could tell she wasn't totally convinced. He would have further pushed the topic, but he sensed she didn't want to talk about it.

So instead he quickened his pace to the arcade thinking air hockey might cheer her up. And sure enough not long after they put the coins in the machine and threw the puck onto the 'ice' her smile returned.

Click, bang, bang, click. The air puck went flying across the table as Max hit it back to Zoey and she returned the favour.

"Do you remember when I used to let you win," Zoey laughed.

"No I remember when I used to let you win," Max replied, grinning as he pinged the puck back to her side and scored a goal.

"I remember when we didn't keep score," Zoey laughed.

"Ah simpler days," Max said nostalgically. "Before the world decided we were grownups."

"Still I think adulting is gonna be fun once we get the hang of it," Zoey said, setting up the puck again.

"Since when is adulting a word?" Max laughed.

"Since now," Zoey replied.

"If you say so," Max chuckled.

"I do say so," Zoey grinned as she scored on him. "Tied point."

Max looked up. She was smiling in the way she did that made her eyes shine, like she was smiling with her whole face. It was his favourite of her many smiles.

"I think adulting will be great so long as we do it together," Max counterd. He had the puck in his hand so the game was at a stand still.

"Well, of course, we'll do it together, silly" Zoey said, with a slight jerk of her head. "We do everything together or did I not make you promise Friend for Life."

"It's true," Max chuckled. "I was tricked into such an agreement."

"Tricked!" Zoey exclaimed outraged, ignoring the game to move around the table and confront him.

Now she was standing looking up at him with all the might she could muster, finger in the air. "You take that back!"

She was so close to him, her face just inches from his and suddenly his heart was beating faster though he didn't understand why. This was Zoey. His Zoey. The little girl he'd known all his life. So why could he think of nothing, but bridging what little space was left between them to touch her.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

And the moment was broken by Zoey's phone.

"Urg probably just those stalker parents checking up on us," Zoey sighed. "I already texted to tell them where we were going out. What do they expect, a play by play?"

Zoey moved a few steps back to answer the call, her phone at her ear. "Hey," Zoey said into the mic.

And then there was silence. It took only seconds for Max to figure out something was wrong.

"What do you mean hospital?" Zoey said, her voice breaking as her eyes filled with tears.

Max stood frozen, the hurt on her face affecting him. All he wanted to make her hurt go away. He thought of pulling her into his arms and comforting her, but somehow he didn't think it would help. He wished he could hear what she was hearing, but at the same time he almost didn't want to know. He'd never seen that look on her face before. Something was very very wrong.

Zoey hung up the phone. Her breathing, shallow and tears pooling in her eyes. "I have to get to the hospital," she managed to say through her anxious breathing.

Max couldn't help it. He moved towards her, desperate to give her even the slightest comfort. "Okay no problem," he said, calming, holding her tight. Her shaking eased slightly and she was able to look up at him.

"Come on," Max said gently as he guided her towards the exit. Zoey just nodded and followed his lead. It was like she wasn't really all there. Max felt like if he hadn't been here with her Zoey might have just curled up on the floor and not moved an inch until someone came to get her.

Never before had Max seen her like this. Was this fear or loss? He couldn't tell, but either way he would have given anything to wipe the tears from her eyes and put a smile back on her face. He knew somehow that there wasn't a thing he could do to make this better.

Max put Zoey in the cab and then got in beside her. He instructed the driver and soon they were moving. Zoey still hadn't said anything. Max wanted so much to ask her what was wrong, but didn't dare for fear that it would make her feel worse to repeat it. From the look on Zoey's face it was like her mind had gone blank, but Max's thoughts wouldn't stop going round in circles.

When the cab finally stopped Max paid the man a month's allowance and they got out of the car. They walked inside and past a little gift shop. There was no reception desk that Max could see. He hadn't been to a hospital since he'd visited his grandmother years and years ago with his parents and that time he'd just been tagging along. How was he supposed to know which floor to go to?

"Zoey," Max said gently, holding her shoulders tightly to try and offer what comfort he could. "Who are we here to see?"

"Dad," Zoey said softly. "Mom said, third floor."

Max followed signs as he led them both towards the stairs which were closer than the elevator. Once on the right floor Max managed to find a nurses station and ask them which room Mitch was in.

It wasn't until he saw Maggie sitting just outside the room that Max truly believed Mitch would be behind those doors.

The moment Zoey saw her mother she ran into her arms. Max stood back and watched, glad Zoey could find comfort there at least. Maggie had clearly been crying, but was more than happy to embrace her daughter.

The moment seemed to go on forever. Eventually the two women pulled away from each other and Maggie began to lead Zoey into the patient room to her left. Max suddenly wasn't sure if he was supposed to be here. Was it only family visiting time? But then Maggie turned to him and gestured and he knew he was expected to come as well.

"Zoey!" Mitch's voice was the first thing anyone heard when they entered the room.

Mitch was in the hospital bed, with machines beeping all around him. He seemed in good spirits though which Max took as a good sign.

"Daddy," Zoey cried out as she ran to him.

"Gentle with her father," Maggie cautioned.

"You're okay," Zoey said, ecstatic. "Mom made it sound worse on the phone."

"Your dad had a heart attack," Maggie said. "It's a big deal. They put stents in three of his arteries."

"What does that mean?" Zoey asked.

"Stents are little mesh devices that go into arteries to hold them open, "Maggie explained. "He'll be on a doctor recommended diet now and medication to prevent blood clots. And more regularly check ups."

"Oh don't burden her with all that," Mitch said with a wave of his hand. "I'm fine really."

"No, you are not fine!" Maggie snapped. "I saw- I saw your heart stop." Zoey just stared. Even Max was surprised. He'd never heard Maggie yell before, and especially not with that level of fear in her voice.

But just as soon as the outburst began Maggie deflated, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Yeah but love they got it going again," Mitch said, clearly trying to comfort his wife. "Big electric shock restarted my motor."

Maggie was still crying, but she allowed her husband to comfort her, moving closer to let him hold her hand.

"Has anyone told Andrew?" Zoey asked.

"You're right," Maggie said, wiping her tears with her free hand before reaching into her purse. "I need to call him."

"Don't worry him too much," Mitch offered. "Really it's no big deal."

Maggie didn't rely, but instead moved away to make her phone call. Zoey followed her mother, holding Maggie's hand and Max found himself standing alone beside Mitch's bed.

"I hope Andrew doesn't think he needs to uproot his life and come back just cause of me," Mitch sighed. "Everyone is making such a big deal."

"Because they love you," Max said simply. "You can't stop them."

"I suppose," Mitch said. Then his tone changed and he turned his gaze from his wife and daughter, out of earshot across the room, to Max standing beside him. "And speaking of love, have you told my daughter yet that you are in love with her?"

"I- um- what," Max stuttered.

"Oh please," Mitch chuckled lightly. "I've watched you be in love with her for most of your life. I actually figured you two would have ended up dating once you started high school, but here we are weeks from graduation and you are still just friends."

"Best friends," Max said.

"If you say so," Mitch said with a mischievous smile.

"I- um... yeah," Max mumbled totally caught off guard with no idea what to say.

Maggie moved back, returning to her husband's side and saving Max from having to come up with a reply. She held out her phone to him. "Your son wants to talk to you."

Mitch took the phone.

"How did you guys get here so fast?" Maggie asked while Mitch was on the phone.

"Cab," Max explained when Zoey looked a little puzzled.

"Yeah that's right," Zoey said as if putting the pieces of her memory of the evening back together.

"I'll give you both a ride home then," Maggie smiled. "The doctors wanna keep Mitch overnight for observation, but they said I could pick him up tomorrow."

"Thanks," Max said gratefully.

With many hugs and promises to return tomorrow the family made their farewells, Maggie still making that same unhappy face whenever Mitch pretended like everything was fine.

They drove home in silence. Zoey was sitting in the back with him, her head resting on his shoulder as if she could barely stay awake. The emotional toll of the night had caught up with her. When they parked, Max supported her inside until she was fully awake before giving one last hug and turning to head home. Max walked across the street and into his own house where he greeted his parents and told them what had happened.

A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him and Max knew it wasn't just Zoey who'd be crashing early tonight. As he lay there, his eyes closed and his mind working on sleep Max couldn't help but think about what Mitch had said. He knew how important Zoey was to him, he always had, but did he love her, love her, like that way? And what had that moment today been about, before the phone call? Max had never felt his heart race like that with her before.

Sleep put an end to his train of thought. Now they were questions for another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update. I just kinda got lazy and busy in the least productive ways. Once I had this chapter done I decided it's time to update even if I don't have any of the next one done so no sneak peek this time. I'll add it here later when it's ready. I hope you enjoy and sorry again so the slow update.


	6. New Years Eve 2010

Jan 2010/2011

Max was glad school was out for the holidays. It wasn't that he didn't like university, but rather that the first few months of it had been a tag overwhelming and what he needed more than anything was a nice normal Christmas.

Though it wasn't quite normal what with Andrew and Emily moving back home. Max had suspected it had something to do with Mitch's heart attack, but only a few days after they'd settled in the couple had announced to the family that they were expecting their first child in spring which was the actual reason why they'd moved back home. Mitch was doing well, especially with Maggie's round the clock care, and the family didn't seem too worried.

Being best friends with Zoey looked a little different in university than it had in high school, though the fundamental aspects were still the same. The biggest difference now was how spread out their classes were. High School had been a solid day of attending classes, while university's let you choose which class times you wanted based on what was on offer. Sometimes though the choices were limited and you ended up with a day that had class at 8am, 1pm and 5pm. Those were not Max's favourite days. Despite it being the same actual amount of class time as his 8am, 11am, 1pm days it felt so much longer. It wasn't so bad when Zoey hung out with him but when her classes didn't match up she'd go home and he'd end up choosing between spending half the down time on a bus and half at home or all of it at school. Suffice to say, Max was spending a lot on the school library computers streaming let's plays.

The other odd things about universities was that they didn't have lockers. This meant that though Max still lived across the street from Zoey, he didn't have a locker beside her anymore. It was strange not seeing her every time he collected his books. Instead of in a locker, his books were in a bag, and on the bus with him everyday. Sometimes he missed real lockers. Though he supposed he could just use the locker-like things near the student union, but they were so far from his classes it hardly seemed worth it.

That was the other thing about universities: they were really big. The campus was more like a small city than a school and Max had to imagine that if he lived in the dorms he'd never leave the school grounds.

But that was all over for now. Max had been looking forward to the school break for months now and he was gonna enjoy it. They holidays for Max always involved the Clarke family and Christmas was no exception to that rule. Of course, he saw his family too but it wouldn't have been a normal Christmas season if they all didn't get together once or twice over the holidays.

And this year that meant a New Years eve party at theClarke's. Max and his parents had been invited next door for appetizers, drinks and good company all the way to midnight.

"It's been going well," Maggie was saying as they all stood around the food table talking. "The doctor's given us a list of foods to avoid and ones to aim for and I've been doing my best to keep him on the right track."

"It's not as easy as it sounds," Max's father was contributing to the conversation. "I remember when my cousin was struggling with keeping to a diet."

"I remember," Maggie replied. "She was diagnosed pre-diabetic right?"

"Yep," Max's father agreed. "Managed to stay that way thanks to changing her eating habits, but man oh man was it a hard ride."

While only half listening to their conversation Max had noticed something they seemed to have missed. The subject of their discussion was nowhere to be seen. Deciding to investigate, Max took his little paper plate of appetizers and went into the kitchen. There he found exactly what he had suspected: a piece missing from the cake that had been concealed by the clever placement of the napkin holder.

Smiling to himself, Max made his way upstairs where he knew the thief was hiding. Assuming the right place to look was the only closed door in the hallway, Max opened it and was not at all surprised by what he found.

"Shhh," Mitch whispered. "Close the door. I'm hiding."

Max did as he was bid and closed the door behind him.

"I guessed as much," Max said, laughing quietly.

"Cake is not on the doctor recommended food list," Mitch explained, though Max had already figured this out.

"You know Maggie is only annoying because she cares so much about you," Max explained.

"I know," Mitch replied, looking only a little guilty. "And I love her all the more for it, but this slice of cake, you don't understand, it was begging to be eaten."

"Begging," Max laughed.

"It looked up at me with it's big sad eyes and said 'eat me. I don't want to go to waste,'" Mitch explained.

"I don't think you quite understand the sentience level of baked goods," Max laughed.

"The universe is infinitely complex. You don't know," Mitch replied.

"Oh I think I do," Max laughed.

"Just so long as you don't tell Maggie where I am," Mitch said.

"Don't worry," Max smiled. "I'll keep your secret."

"You better," Mitch sniggered. "What with me keeping your secrets and all."

"I don't have secrets," Max scoffed.

"Oh? What about those feelings for my daughter, huh?" Mitch said, raising an eyebrow before taking another huge bite of his cake.

"I thought you were all drugged up and making stuff up at the hospital," Max mumbled after a moment of awkward silence.

"And how long did it take you to convince yourself of that?" Mitch asked. "What are you so afraid of, son?"

Max didn't speak for a minute, mulling it over. It was uneary how accurate Mitch was. Max hadn't even realized until now that Mitch was right. Max had spent those next few days after the hospital coming up with reasons why Mitch had said what he'd said that made it all less real. So why had Max done that? Why had he felt the need to talk himself out of something that he knew deep down to be true?

"She doesn't feel the same," Max said eventually, realizing the truth of these words even more as he spoke them outloud. "If I tell her she'll just reject me and it'll ruin our friendship."

"She might," Mitch said calmly. "And yes that is very possible, but you can't actually know unless you try."

"How come you've figured me out, but no one else has?" Max asked both wanting to know the answer and very much wanting to change the topic.

"You remind me of someone," Mitch smiled. "Someone who used to glaze the way you gaze."

"Who do you mean?"

"Me," Mitch replied with a smile. "I used to look at Maggie the same way I've caught you gazing at Zoey. That's how I know."

"Why are you telling me this?" Max asked.

"You're a good kid, Max," Mitch said. "I've known you all your life. I couldn't wish for anything better for my Zoey, but if you don't tell her soon she is gonna get swept away by someone else." He paused. "I'm surprised she hasn't already. What are you guys like half way through first year university? Has she met anyone?"

"Some classmates," Max shrugged. "But we still hang out alot."

"Does she talk about any one of those classmates more than the others?" Mitch asked.

"Simon," Max replied, reluctantly.

"Ah see," Mitch grinned. "If you aren't careful she will get swept off her feet right from under you."

"I-," Max began, unsure what he meant to say. "I mean it's just, we've been friends so long. I couldn't bear to lose that. If she rejects me and that changes what would my life even look like?"

"And if she feels the same as you what would your life look like then?" Mitch countered. He smiled, ate a piece of cake then continued. "Sometimes in life you have to risk losing something precious in order to gain something priceless."

"And by that do you mean your health and that cake?" Max asked.

"Hey, I believe we were talking about you here," Mitch shot back.

"Oh no we are so over me," Max tried to laugh and not think about it. "I believe I have a cake crime to report."

"You wouldn't," Mitch said with narrowed eyes.

Max laughed again, then moved closer to sit on the couch beside Mitch. "Nah I wouldn't," Max agreed. "But only because it's a special occasion. Back on the doctor's recommended eating list as soon as the holidays are over, deal?"

"Deal," Mitch chuckled lightly.

There was a moment in which no one talked. Then Max sighed, and added soberly. "You really think I should tell her?"

"No," Mitch replied. "I think you have to tell her. No should about it." Max sighed. He could already feel the anxiety at the idea of telling her building up in his chest.

"If you don't tell her," Mitch continued. "You will forever be asking yourself 'what if'. This will hang over you, holding you back."

"You know you aren't my dad, right," Max smiled at him. "I mean this is starting to feel like fatherly advice here."

Mitch shrugged. "Can't turn the parent mode off," he said. "It's a dad thing."

"Soon you're gonna need a grandpa thing," Max chuckled.

"Oh that's easy," Mitch grinned. "Feed them candy then send them home to their parents." Max couldn't contain his laughter.

"Now get out of here and go find Zoey," Mitch ordered, gesturing with his hands to show he meant it. "Shoo and leave me alone with my beautiful cake."

Max chuckled as he made his way out of the room.

Was tonight really the night that he'd tell her? Could this one moment in time change his entire life going forward? It depended on if he had the guts to even try no matter what Mitch said.

Max returned downstairs and found Zoey standing around the appetizer table talking with her family. Before he got very close she spotted him.

"Hey Max!" Zoey called. "There you are."

"Was I lost?" Max chuckled as he came to stand beside her.

"We were just all guessing where you went," Zoey explained. "It's almost midnight."

"I don't suppose you were hiding wherever my husband has run off to?" Maggie asked.

"Mitch won't miss the countdown," Max replied, being careful not to explain further.

Max turned to look at Zoey again and was momentarily awed into silence. How did she look so beautiful without effort he wasn't sure. Those brilliant eyes shone as if trying to display all the wonders of the mind beneath. And then Max couldn't help wondering if it was moments like this that had given him away to Mitch. He'd always supposed that when he looked at Zoey his thoughts were his own, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe his emotions were written on his face for all to see.

Before they all moved from the kitchen to the living room to watch the big New Years countdown, Mitch made his appearance, without a single crumb to give him away. And suddenly everyone's mind was on the countdown. Except for Max whose mind couldn't have been farther from 2011 right now.

How could he tell her? That is if he had the nerve to do it at all. What were the right words to explain to someone that they were the very best thing in your life without coming off as needy or clingy or something else he didn't want to be.

Maybe he was overthinking this. Maybe words weren't needed. What if he just kissed her at midnight and then if she reacted badly he'd just blame New Years? Yeah that seemed safe.

Oh, who was he kidding? That took bravely beyond his capacities.

If he was really honest with himself how Max wanted to tell her was like a flash mob serenade, but if he didn't have the guts to kiss her at midnight then that was definitely out.

Zoey looked up at him and in that moment, more so than any other moment in his entire life, Max wanted to kiss her.

Okay so he wasn't brave enough to jump out of the plane without knowing if he was wearing a parachute, but what if he could test and see if there might be a parachute before he jumped?

"Have you ever wondered Zoey," Max began. "I mean midnight on New Years can be kinda a romantic thing sometimes, and I was just curious, have you ever thought what it would be like if that's how we were?"

Zoey looked confused at first, turning to face him with an odd look on her face. "Where did that come from?" she asked.

"Just a thought," Max replied.

"Wouldn't that be kinda weird," Zoey said eventually. "Us dating?"

"Weird is the first word that comes to mind for you?" Max asked, wanting to make sure he heard her correctly what with all the talking going on around them. On the plus side all this noise meant no one else could hear them.

"Yeah I mean dating is way too casual for us," Zoey continued. "Friends for life end up in the same seniors home. Guys you date just end up as archived phone contacts."

"I suppose yeah," Max said, totally chickening out.

"Three, two, one," everyone chanted at once. "Happy New Year!" And suddenly the room was full of noise makers going off mixed and people cheering, but Max didn't feel like a part of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Really slow update here sorry but now that my exam is over and I don't have school again for a whole month hopefully I'll use that month to write. :) Maybe even complete this story. Please let me know what you think by leaving a review. Thanks!  
> \--------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 07
> 
> He had no better way of describing his current state of mind than the emotional equivalent of hanging his head against a wall.
> 
> The funniest consequence of all this was that Zoey had noticed something was wrong and was therefore trying to cheer him up, that way she did when she knew something was wrong but didn't think you wanted to talk about it.
> 
> But when she wasn't trying to cheer him Zoey was talking more and more about Simon. Simon was a new friend she'd made in one of her classes. Max tried to console himself that she was at least not dating him. Though this did made him feel more and more sure that if he didn't tell her for real soon, Mitch's prediction would come true.


	7. Spring 2011

Spring 2011

After New Year's Eve, it had taken Max a solid week to realize that Zoey hadn't actually said no, though she hadn't said yes either. In fact, it had been just confusing enough for Max to spend months wondering if he should try again.

His classes had gotten hard, which meant putting off deciding to get a more specific answer out of Zoey got easier. He had less and less free time as the course material required more and more study.

Still no matter how busy he was, Max always seemed to find time to fret and overthink. If dating was too casual, would jumping into something more serious work better for her or did she not believe in the permanence of romantic attachments in general? Or was there something else going on that he was missing?

He had no better way of describing his current state of mind than the emotional equivalent of hanging his head against a wall.

The funniest consequence of all this was that Zoey had noticed something was wrong and was therefore trying to cheer him up, that way she did when she knew something was wrong but didn't think you wanted to talk about it.

But when she wasn't trying to cheer him Zoey was talking more and more about Simon. Simon was a new friend she'd made in one of her classes. Max tried to console himself that she was at least not dating him. Though this did make him feel more and more sure that if he didn't tell her for real soon, Mitch's prediction would come true.

Time passed, the snow melted and spring loomed on the horizon. Which meant the family was all waiting for that phone call telling them Emily had gone into labour.

"I feel too young to be an aunt," Zoey said and not for the first time.

"It isn't like your brother gave you a choice in the matter," Max reminded her. Zoey turned her head to give him a look that said 'don't be stupid.' Max couldn't help but laugh a little.

"You know what I mean," Zoey continued. "Like when did we become old?"

"We're nineteen," Max reminded her.

"Exactly!" Zoey said. "Only six short months and we will no longer be considered teenagers."

"Don't you have math to do?" Max replied, gesturing to the text books and notepads layed out in front of them on the table.

"Urg," Zoey groaned. "Don't remind me."

"But you like math," Max chuckled.

"I like code," Zoey countered. "It's like math but much better."

"Computer science majors involve a couple things that aren't directly computer related," Max informed her. "Just the way it is."

"Maybe that phone will ring and my nephew will get born and save me from this hell," Zoey said in mock horror.

"Or maybe you just need some coffee," Max offered.

"Fine," Zoey sighed. "We'll try it your way." And with that she got up to head to the cafeteria and get herself something. Max assumed that if she went for coffee she'd probably come back with at least a bagel as well. She usually did.

Max directed his attention back down to his notebook. Which formula was he using again? And to solve for the variable he had to do the sum of which values? Where were his notes. Ah yes the values were…

Ring. Ring. Ring.

His phone broke his concentration. Knowing he'd have to rethink the problem from scratch now anyway, Max reached to check the caller ID. His first reaction was puzzled. Maggie never called him. Surely, this meant Emily was having the baby. Curious, but not concerned, Max answered the call.

"Max?" Maggie's voice spoke into his ear and at once Max was tense. He'd never heard her speak with such anguish before in his life. The pain and sorrow she'd managed to pack into that one word was enough to make Max forget where he was. All his attention was now focused on Maggie's voice.

"I'm here," Max assumed her.

"Can Zoey see you?" Maggie asked. "Can she see your face?"

"No," Max replied. "She went to get coffee."

"I don't want her to hear this over the phone," Maggie continued. Max was pretty sure she was crying now. "I know I'm asking a lot of you but I want her to hear it from someone who loves her."

Max didn't have time to register the fact that Mitch had told his wife Max's secret before Maggie spoke again.

"Mitch had another heart attack," Maggie explained. "But it was faster than before. He didn't have time to even pick up his phone to get help." She paused. He didn't need her to finish; the sinking feeling in his stomach told him what she was going to say.

"He's dead, Max," Maggie cried. "Zoey's father died."

It was good that she'd said it outloud. The sinking feeling in his stomach had told Max what she was going to say, but he hadn't really believed it until she'd spoken the words.

"And you want me to tell her?" Max said, his voice breaking.

"I just don't want her to hear it over the phone," Maggie sniffered. "But if you can't that's okay, just tell her to come see me."

They had just started their homework and Max knew he'd never be able to come up with a good enough reason for Zoey to go all the way home especially when she had another class later that day. Even if he wanted the second option, he couldn't imagine how to pull it off.

"It's okay," Max replied. "I can do it." And he hung up the phone.

He at least had a few moments to compose himself before Zoey appeared holding a coffee in one hand and, just as he'd suspected, a bagel in the other.

"Decided it was also snack time," Zoey said as she placed her items on the table.

"Your mom called," Max began, not really sure if there was any not horrible way to share this news.

"Oh is Emily having the baby?" Zoey asked excitedly.

"She didn't mention Emily," Max said.

"Huh weird," Zoey replied, looking unconcerned.

"She called to pass on some information. She wanted me to tell you rather than hearing it over the phone," Max began. "Or from a stranger."

"Alright," Zoey said very slowly.

"Your dad," Max began. He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to speak the words that would cause her pain. "Well he had another heart attack, but it was faster than before and he wasn't able to get help."

Her bagel and coffee completely forgotten, Zoey stared at him. "What are you saying?" she demanded, volume in her voice now.

"He didn't make it," Max said, in a small voice.

"Why would you say that!" Zoey yelled, standing up and looking as though she were preparing for a fight.

"Because your mom-"

"Just because you wish my parents were your parents doesn't mean you can go around making stuff up!" Zoey was really yelling now.

"Hey now where did that come fro-"

"I didn't know you were this selfish!" Zoey screamed at him.

Max couldn't help but feel those words like the cut of a knife to his heart.

"Fine don't believe me," Max called back though not as loudly or with as much anger as her. "Go talk to your mother."

"Well I can't be here anymore can I?" Zoey shot back and just like that she was packing up her stuff and leaving.

Max wasn't sure how long he just sat there, staring at the empty chair across from him. They'd never yelled at each other like that before, ever. Not once in their whole lives. And it hurt. Fighting with Zoey was a pain Max had never experienced before and on top of that losing a man he'd looked up to like a father was yet another pain he'd never before known. Because Zoey wasn't wrong. Max loved her parents. They'd been like his second family all his life.

As Max sat there staring at the empty chair he let the grief have him, crying silently over his homework.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to my late father who died of a sudden heart attack five years ago.  
> \---------------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 8
> 
> The funeral was planned for the coming Saturday and despite Zoey's current attitude towards him Maggie wanted Max to attend which he was grateful for. He needed to be there.
> 
> Time passed very strangely as Saturday approached. Speeding up and slowing down quite differently than normal. Working on school work suddenly became an activity that sped up the hours while his favorite video games seemed to drag. The best moments though were when his mind went blank and he could be completely still, though those didn't last nearly long enough.
> 
> Saturday arrived and Max put on black pants with a black button up shirt before getting into the car with his parents. The funeral was being held at Mitch's favourite restaurant. Max assumed Maggie had had to organize all of this and wished again that she'd let him help. Though he supposed maybe Zoey had helped her or Andrew. Emily was still very much pregnant, though now about five days past her due date.


	8. A Week Later

(A Week Later)

A day went by without a word from Zoey, then a week. Max wasn't sure if she was still mad or just embarrassed. Max went to see Maggie when he could, sometimes bringing food, but even when he was in the house Zoey wouldn't come out of her room.

"I'm sorry, Max," Maggie told him. "I honestly thought hearing it from you would help. I should never have put that one on you."

"Don't blame yourself," Max tried to ease her mind. She had enough to deal with without worrying about him too. "No one expected her to react like this."

Maggie accepted the casserole dish his mother had sent him over with, hugged Max and then walked him to the door. Despite their very different response to the news, Max could tell Maggie wasn't doing any better than her daughter.

Max wished he could do something to help. He wished he could be a shoulder for Zoey to cry on. He did offer to help Maggie any way he could think of, bringing over groceries or cleaning the house, but she always turned him down. She wanted to keep her routines which he couldn't blame her for.

The funeral was planned for the coming Saturday and despite Zoey's current attitude towards him Maggie wanted Max to attend which he was grateful for. He needed to be there.

Time passed very strangely as Saturday approached. Speeding up and slowing down quite differently than normal. Working on school work suddenly became an activity that sped up the hours while his favorite video games seemed to drag. The best moments though were when his mind went blank and he could be completely still, though those didn't last nearly long enough.

Saturday arrived and Max put on black pants with a black button up shirt before getting into the car with his parents. The funeral was being held at Mitch's favourite restaurant. Max assumed Maggie had had to organize all of this and wished again that she'd let him help. Though he supposed maybe Zoey had helped her or Andrew. Emily was still very much pregnant, though now about five days past her due date.

One by one people got up and made toasts or speeches. Andrew burst into tears as he talked about how he couldn't believe dad would never meet his grandson. Maggie talked about how they'd celebrated their last anniversary at home because they hadn't felt like going out and they figured that they would go back to the usual restaurant next year. Maggie said she wished she'd made the effort to go out then because she'd never get the chance ever again. Both of Max's parents spoke briefly about how big a part of their lives the neighbours across the street had been to them over the years. Finally it was Zoey's turn to speak.

"I don't want to be here," Zoey began calmly. "I wish more than anything that I'm dreaming, that I'll wake up and get to see my dad again. Listen to him laughing at his own bad jokes or give me the advice I didn't realize I needed. I'm not sure I know how to keep going without you dad." Zoey's words were cut short by her tears. "But I'll do my best to make you proud all the same."

She ran off the stage and into her mother's arms. Max just couldn't help himself. The speeches were over for now and people were moving around again. Max made his way over to Maggie and Zoey.

"Hey," Max said softly as he got closer.

Zoey looked up at her mother who gave her an encouraging smile though her tears and then suddenly to Max's great relief Zoey was hugging him.

"I'm sorry," she said through her sobs. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Max cooed softly. "I forgive you."

"I just-" she hiccuped. "I just needed to blame someone and-"

"You shot the messenger," Max finished for her. "I get it."

"I'm sorry," Zoey added again looking up at him now with her tear stained face.

"Forgiven," Max told her firmly, pulling her into the hug again. "Always and completely forgiven."

"Thank you," Zoey whispered, hugging him even tighter.

For the rest of the funeral, Max didn't leave Zoey's side. He hadn't realized how much her not speaking to him had weighted on his mind until he'd held her in his arms.

As people were leaving, hours later Emily started breathing harder and holding onto the walls. Andrew drove her to the hospital and the following day they received news of the newest member of their family.

Max was invited along with Maggie and Zoey to visit at the hospital once Emily had rested. They'd had a different name picked out before today, but both Emily and Andrew had decided the moment they'd held their son in their arms what his name had to be: Mitch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sneak Peek Chapter 9
> 
> "Who's Autumn?" Max asked, trying not to groan.
> 
> "She's in my English class," Zoey explained. "You know one of the few classes we didn't manage to get together."
> 
> "Ah those," Max replied.
> 
> "So how about it?" Zoey asked. "I think you'd like her. She's really nice. I bet you'd have a lot in common."
> 
> Max's bitter thoughts couldn't help but reply 'unless she's also in love with you I doubt we have enough in common' though like before he didn't say them out loud.
> 
> "If it will make you happy," Max sighed. Why couldn't he just say no to this woman?
> 
> "Brilliant!" Zoey exclaimed. "I'll tell her later today, but you have to tell me how it goes once you've been out. Promise?"
> 
> "I promise," Max sighed.


	9. Fall 2011

Fall 2011

Max was about ready to hit his past self. If only he'd just told her properly when he'd had a chance this could all have been avoided. But no he'd chickened out like a coward.

After the funeral, he'd told himself that he should give her some space which had been the right course of action. However once Zoey had started acting more like herself again Max had decided it was still too close to the funeral and put it off once more. And more and more excuses followed until one day, all of a sudden, Zoey slipped out of his reach.

Simon as it turned out had lost his father to a car accident just a year earlier and knew exactly how Zoey was feeling. She appreciated Max's support, but he had two living parents and didn't know how she was feeling the way Simon did or so Zoey always said. And suddenly Max was ditched on a regular basis so Zoey could hang out with her boyfriend.

He was officially living his own nightmare.

"Simon's gonna take me out for ice cream after class," Zoey said as they walked to class together.

"Hmm," Max replied. He'd gotten very good at making non-committal noises when Zoey got on this topic.

"It's just so great to have someone to talk to about everything," Zoey said with a sigh. "I'm so comfortable around him."

"Huh," Max said, trying to come up with a new tone infection for his pointless reply.

"I just wish you were this happy," Zoey sighed. "What's going on with you lately? You seem so gloomy."

Max couldn't help thinking, 'you try being chipper when the woman you love won't stop talking to you about some other guy she's seeing,' but of course he didn't say that. Instead he shrugged.

"I know!" Zoey exclaimed as they turned a corner. "You just need to find someone the way I have. I could set you up with Autumn!"

"Who's Autumn?" Max asked, trying not to groan.

"She's in my English class," Zoey explained. "You know one of the few classes we didn't manage to get together."

"Ah those," Max replied.

"So how about it?" Zoey asked. "I think you'd like her. She's really nice. I bet you'd have a lot in common."

Max's bitter thoughts couldn't help but reply 'unless she's also in love with you I doubt we have enough in common' though like before he didn't say them out loud.

"If it will make you happy," Max sighed. Why couldn't he just say no to this woman?

"Brilliant!" Zoey exclaimed. "I'll talk to her later today, but you have to tell me how it goes once you've been out. Promise?"

"I promise," Max sighed.

Max was saved from further conversation on the topic by them reaching their class. Usually Zoey didn't talk during class though she would expect him to sit beside her.

School was the best thing he had going for him lately. Max could lose himself in lectures and forget for a moment how doomed his heart was to always be incomplete.

Ironically, it had been seeing Zoey with someone else that had finally taught him with perfect clarity he could never be as happy with someone else the same way he could be happy with Zoey. Not that he'd ever tried. Sure, he'd done seven minutes in heaven once or twice in high school thanks to peer pressure, but Max had never really cared about another girl before the way he cared about Zoey. If he was being really honest with himself he wasn't sure he could. Still there was no reason to wallow. There was more to life than love right?

Class ended and Zoey waved goodbye before running off to see Simon. Max knew he wouldn't see her again until at least tomorrow, if not the weekend. With a sigh he packed up his books and made his way home.

The strangest thing about the new set up of his life was how odd it was to not spend all his time with Zoey. He hadn't really realized how much time they spent together until suddenly he was forced to find other things to do for huge chunks of the day.

To stave off boredom, Max attempted to make some new friends. It wasn't that hard to meet new people in University; the trick was getting them to talk to you for more than five seconds. He didn't have any luck until he remembered an encounter from months ago he'd had with a couple guys in one of his Computer Science classes. They'd been trying to start a programming club for coding pranks. He hadn't been very interested back then, but now things were different.

After their next shared class, Max walked up and re-introduced himself trying not to sound lame.

"Oh yeah I remember," the guy on the left said. He was of East Indian descent and shorter than the other guy. Max couldn't quite recall their names and was really hoping they would say them casually so he didn't end up awkwardly asking later.

"Ready to join the dark side of the coding force?" said the taller white guy on the right.

"Sign me up," Max replied with a smile.

The East Indian guy leaned over to his friend and said, "I don't know about this Lief, he doesn't seem like the prankster type."

"You caught me," Max replied, putting his hands in the air for effect. "But I'm sick of just hanging out with myself all the time so teach me Obi-Wan Kenobi."

"Keeping with the Star Wars metaphor does get you some points," added the guy who Max was guessing was called Leif. Now if only Max could get Leif to say the other guys name he'd be laughing. "Can't hurt to try him out. I mean we could at least test his coding skills."

"Code can be learned," the other guy said dramatically. "The art of a prank is something you're born with."

"Tobin," Leif groaned. Then he turned to Max. "Are you free this Saturday around noon-ish to get started? We usually bring our laptops down to the cafetiera."

"Yeah I'm free Saturday," Max said, adding only to himself that with Zoey so often not around he felt like he was basically free all the time these days.

"Great," Leif replied. "So we'll see you then. Bring whatever laptop you code with, and your charging cord."

"You aren't officially in though," the guy who wasn't Leif said. "Think of this more like an audition."

"Don't listen to Tobin," Leif said. "He's forgetting that no one else has even asked to join."

"Hey it's an exclusive club," Tobin disagreed defensively.

"Oh please," Leif scoffed. "With just us it's more like two-dorks-coding-alone-in-the-corner club."

"Well that's why we've been recruiting more members," Tobin replied, gesturing to Max.

"Yes and we've had exactly one applicant who you just tried to turn away," Leif raised his eyebrows.

Max couldn't help laughing at their dynamic. It was very clear that these two had been friends a long time, maybe even as long as him and Zoey.

"I have a feeling we'll get on great," Max smiled. "I'll see you guys Saturday."

After a few goodbyes and 'see ya saturday's Max packed up his stuff and headed home, thankful that he'd at least have some not me-time this weekend.

After greeting his parents and dumping his backpack, Max went upstairs to collapse on his bed. What he wished right now more than anything was simply not to think about Zoey. Why did his mind have to torture itself, by always wondering what she was doing? And when it wasn't doing that it was focused on how much stronger his feelings had gotten with less and less access to Zoey's company. It was like he missed her, missed her at his core even though he'd seen her this morning. Neither of these realities made any sense to him, but nevertheless he had no choice but to live them.

The days till Saturday passed at a steady rate. He did get to see a bit of Zoey the following day though just for about half an hour between classes then off she went again. She and Max had less classes on Friday while Simon had a full day's worth so Zoey spent most of her day with Max. Not that this helped him feel any better however since he knew if Simon had been free today she would have been with him like usual.

"You know Simon was a little jealous of you when I first told him we were friends," Zoey was saying as they sat in the cafeteria with their homework spread out across the table. "But then I explained that we'd been friends since pre-school and he seemed to relax quite a bit."

"Great," Max said, not really bothering to hide the sarcasm in his voice.

"I'm sorry," Zoey said, surprising Max. "I talk about Simon alot, don't I?"

"Maybe," Max replied, not wanting to make her feel bad.

"I will try to do better," Zoey said with firm resolve. "I mean I'm sure you get really bored with me going on and on."

"Not bored," Max counted, for it was true bored was never his emotion at such times. It was more regret, misery, jealousy, fear, longing, sorrow just to name a few.

"You don't have to sugar coat it," Zoey laughed. "I know it's boring. Oh but you know what isn't boring?" She barely paused for breath before answering her own question. "Your date with Autumn."

"Oh right," he replied, just to make her happy.

"I know your class on Monday gets out by one and she is free at two so I said two-thirty at the little coffee shop on campus. You know the one we usually see on our way into the building from the entrance closest to the bus stop."

"Got it," Max said, putting a thumbs up in front of his face to try and communicate he understood.

"And remember I need to hear how it goes," she continued, grinning. "I think you'll get along great."

Thankfully he was able to change the topic after that pretty easily to school related stuff and a few hours later when Simon got out of class Zoey left to meet up with him. With a great sigh, Max made his way home.

And now he knew he wouldn't see Zoey again till their shared class on Tuesday. Was it sad how much he was keeping track of this? Maybe. Was it possible for him to stop. No.

At least he had that hang out with those guys from the coding club on Saturday before the dreaded date on Monday.

When Max arrived at the cafetiera fifteen minutes early he wasn't surprised that they weren't there. Instead he got himself some lunch and went and sat down with his laptop hoping they'd see him when they came in. And sure enough only about twenty minutes later both Leif and Tobin sat down at his stable, laptops in hand.

"Hey," Tobin said as he opened his laptop looking very intense as if their little coding session mattered to the CIA.

"Don't mind him," Leif said.

Once they all started talking code, Max found he quite enjoyed himself. It had been so long, if ever, that he'd had guy friends and this was very much needed with everything going in his life at the moment.

"So Max," Tobin changed the topic about an hour later. "Got any hot sisters?"

"Only child," Max replied.

Tobin pretended his heart was being stabbed with a knife Max assumed this to be a way of showing disappointment.

"He asks everyone that," Leif explained. "Always looking for a new blind date."

"Hey it's hard to meet people in this day and age," Tobin defended himself.

"There'll be time for girls later," Leif shrugged. "Gotta rock the career first or I'll never win."

"Win at what?" Max laughed.

"Everything," Leif explained, slowly as if this meant more than it actually did.

These guys were nice and all but Max couldn't quite figure them out.

"So what about you Max?" Tobin asked. "Seen any girls around school worth dating?"

"What do you mean worth dating?" Max asked, confused.

"Like attractive," Tobin replied. "Got it going on here and here." And he gestured to his chest and then his butt.

"Oh um I guess no," Max mumbled.

"Are you gay?" Tobin asked, shocked as if Max was somehow refusing to keep the bro code or something.

"No," Max said quickly. "Just don't really notice stuff like that."

"What's her name?" Leif asked at once.

"Who's name?" Max replied.

"The name of the woman keeping you from noticing other women," Leif explained.

"Oh wow," Max said softly as the realization hit him. "You are so right. How'd you do that?"

"Not just a hat stand my friend," Leif said pointing to his head.

"Definitely not," Max explained. "Damn I didn't even realize."

"So her name?" Leif tried again, impatiently.

"Zoey," Max said.

"Where'd you meet her?" Tobin asked. "And does she have any hot sisters?"

Max chuckled. "She has an older brother," he said to Tobin's disappointment. "And she has a boyfriend."

"Tough luck," Leif sympathized.

Max couldn't believe how amazing it was to talk casually about all this stuff with someone who didn't understand the depth of everything. It was kinda freeing.

"Well as they say plenty of fish in the sea," Tobin said.

"Actually I have a blind date on Monday," Max replied.

"How did you manage that?" Tobin asked, clearly looking for details that could get him into a similar situation.

"Zoey set it up," Max explained.

"Ohh," Leif said in an even more sympathetic voice. "That sucks man."

"What why?" Tobin said, sounding confused.

"Just think about it for a moment Tobin," Leif continued, carefully as if talking to a slow person. Tobin didn't seem to pick up on it. "The girl you want setting you up with someone else kinda implies she doesn't want you."

"Oh man," Max groaned. "I hadn't even thought of that."

Leif nodded, empathetically at him. "I mean cause if she felt the same why would she try and take you off the market."

"Somehow you guys have managed to improve my mood and then ruin it all over again in the space of about five minutes," Max whined.

"What are friends for," Leif laughed.

"Coding," Tobin pitched in. "We have forgotten about the task at hand men."

Max and Leif chuckled, but still the focus shifted back to the computers which was fine by Max. He needed more time to process the new outlook on life Leif had given him anyway. It was very clear to Max even with just one afternoon spent in their company that Leif had been in love before while Tobin clearly hadn't. Despite their differences the two were very clearly the closest of friends and Max was glad to have met them.

Plus thanks to Tobin's attitude he was dreading his date on Monday a little less. After all he could always tell Zoey it went badly no matter what actually happened and then she'd stop bringing it up right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think of Max's trying not to sulk? Is he doing a good job lol.
> 
> Also anyone also reading my Mortal Instruments story 'Roommates and Soulmates' just know the wait is almost over. My editor has the next two chapters. I'm just waiting for her to find time to edit them. Cheers. :)  
> \--------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 10
> 
> "Hence my original conclusion," Max said as he finished explaining his story to the guys on Saturday afternoon in January. "I'm a horrible person."
> 
> "Yeah you are," Tobin agreed. "But not for the reason you think. You're terrible for not giving up his Zoey girl and keeping the totally hot chick who actually likes you."
> 
> "I know," Max groaned. "I just can't."
> 
> "And she's still with that boyfriend of hers, huh?" Leif asked. Max nodded.
> 
> "You my friend are doomed," Tobin said cheerfully, patting Max on the shoulder.
> 
> "Oh thanks," Max said rolling his eyes. "Big help!"


	10. Winter 2012

Winter 2012

It was official. Max was a terrible person. His date with Autumn hasn't been bad, but it hadn't been life changing either. They talked, drank some lattes and she asked for his number. Not seeing what the big deal was he gave it to her and went on with life not really thinking about it. When she'd texted him a few days later to hang out again, he'd agreed. What would be wrong with some company anyway, especially with Zoey ignoring him all the time. But then hanging out at school led to hanging out at home and before he knew it he had a girlfriend. Max hadn't quite realized the extent of the situation until he was way too deep in it for an easy retreat.

Fall turned to winter and nothing changed. It wasn't like he had anything against Autam's company. It was just that she wasn't Zoey. The problem was that the longer this went on the more he worried he'd hurt her. But what was kinder? Breaking her heart now that he'd realized he had hold of it or continuing to string her along?

"Hence my original conclusion," Max said as he finished explaining his story to the guys one Saturday afternoon in January. "I'm a horrible person."

"Yeah you are," Tobin agreed. "But not for the reason you think. You're terrible for not giving up his Zoey girl and keeping the totally hot chick who actually likes you."

"I know," Max groaned. "I just can't."

"And she's still with that boyfriend of hers, huh?" Leif asked. Max nodded.

"You, my friend, are doomed," Tobin said cheerfully, patting Max on the shoulder.

"Oh thanks," Max said rolling his eyes. "Big help!" Tobin just shrugged.

"What I can't figure out is what's so great about this Zoey person anyway?" Leif asked. "I mean why her?"

"No idea," Max sighed. "It's just always been her."

"When you say always," Leif continued curiously. "How far back are we talking?"

"As long as I can remember," Max replied. "Our parents said we met in preschool."

"Wow," Leif said, stunned. "I thought you'd met her in high school or first year uni or something."

"Nope," Max said.

"I take it back," Tobin said with a grin. "You aren't just doomed. You are royally and completely screwed."

Max rolled his eyes. "That isn't better."

"No it's worse," Tobin explained.

"I have to break up with her, don't I?" Max groaned.

"If you don't return her feelings, yeah you do," Leif agreed. "Otherwise you're terrible person status will get worse."

"I still say forget about the red head," Tobin offered. "It's the easy choice."

"It's not a choice though," Max countered. "Cause trust me I've tried."

"On that sorry note I have to go to class," Leif said standing up. "Good luck man."

"Thanks," Max sighed. "I'll need it." Tobin stood too. Max had long ago accepted that those two went everywhere together.

Max remembered when Zoey had found out about Autumn. He sometimes wondered if her happy expression had been why he'd let himself get into his mess in the first place. The situation wasn't fair to anyone and he had to end it, now before he lost his nerve.

Getting out his phone, Max texted her to see where she was. Following her suggestion he headed off to meet up with her after her class got out.

"It's gonna suck and you're gonna feel like the worst human ever but after that everything will be better," Max tried to give himself a pep talk and he walked down the hall of the Univercity. "So much better."

He quite enjoyed Autumn company. She was a kind and generally lovely woman and he really would miss her. The problem was that he would miss her for all the wrong reasons. It had become more and more obvious to him over the last few weeks why exactly he needed her and why he'd let himself get into this situation. He was using her as his emotional crutch and she deserved more than that.

Despite his resolve the moment she walked out of that classroom, Max hadn't a clue what to say.

"Hey," Autumn said. Her long blonde hair with dark roots was down today, framing her round smiling face. Wouldn't it be easier to just do this later? He didn't want to ruin her day.

Max shook his head hard, covering his face with her hands. Oh so it was better to ruin her life than her day huh you coward, Max chastised himself.

"Can we talk for a sec?" Max asked looking up.

"Sure," Autumn replied and then followed as he walked a little ways away from the class door until they were alone.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Well I-" Max began, but who was he kidding. He hadn't a clue how to say this even remotely nicely. He couldn't exactly tell her'd been using her as his own emotional band aid all this time, now could he?

"See we-" Max tried again.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Autumn snapped suddenly. Her soft demeanor disappearing, replaced with a cool resolve.

"Yeah you're probably right about that," Max replied awkwardly.

"You want to break up?" she asked. All Max did was nod. He was so pathetic.

"I know I've been the one moving us forward from the start," she continued. "I always knew you needed nugging but I just thought you were shy. Even if I always had to ask you to hang out, even if you never initiated anything I thought well that isn't so bad, right? I mean he could still be worth a shot." She paused looking daggers at him. "Guess I was wrong."

"I'm sorry," Max said.

"Everyone said we were so great together," Autumn continued. "I thought we had a future you know."

Max didn't know what to say. He feared she'd been thinking like this.

"You deserve someone who thinks only of you," Max tried to console her. "Someone who puts you first."

"Ah so that's the problem," she sighed, looking down at her shoes. "I'm second in your eyes, am I?"

"Um," Max stammered. He hadn't thought before he'd spoken. How had she read between the lines so accurately.

"Well then I hope she knows what she's getting into," Autumn said, still to her shoes. But then her head shot up and she looked at him with daggers and tears in her eyes. "You give love a bad name," she snapped at him, before sharply turning and walking away at a brisk pace.

Max felt like an even more horrible person now that he had this morning but at least it was over. Slowly, he dragged his feet and walked. He'd gone down the hallway before he realized he wasn't sure where he was going. Did he have more classes today? If he did, did he even care? Yep still cared, though he had to check his calendar to confirm hanging out with Lief and Tobin had been the end of his plans for the day.

Max made his way home, in a sulk. The guilt of the whole situation wouldn't let him be free. Oh why had he let it get this bad? Stupid, stupid, stupid!

When he got home Max plopped himself face down on his bed, allowing himself to feel every ounce of guilt he was due. His parents must have known something was wrong as they came in to check on him about an hour later, but all he had to do was tell them he broke up with Autumn and they were satisfied.

Max gave himself the day to feel like a horrible person, but come tomorrow he got up and got back to his life. He had plans to see Zoey this weekend and Max couldn't believe how much he was looking forward to seeing her. Tobin and Leif were great, but they were no substitute for his best friend in the whole world.

To Max's great surprise when he walked over to see Zoey Saturday morning, Maggie opened the door looking quite distraught.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"Zoey got home late last night and she'd been crying ever since," Maggie explained. "She won't tell me what happened. Maybe you can get through to her Max."

"I'll try," Max said, as he headed up to Zoey's room. Max knocked on her door. "It's me," he said. "Can I come in?" There was a muffled affirmative from inside and Max opened the door. What he saw was Zoey laying on her bed, clearly in tears.

And there it was again. The reason why no other woman could ever hold a candle to her: the overwhelming feelings seeing her like this created in him. All he wanted in the whole world in that moment was to make her smile. Moving quickly to sit on the bed beside her, Max put an arm around her. Zoey responded by throwing herself into his arms and sobbing into his shoulder.

"Shh it's okay," Max tried to sooth her. "I'm here."

She held onto him for a long time, never telling him what was wrong, but never coming close to letting him go either. When her tears finally dried up she looked at him. How could it be that even crying like this she was still so beautiful?

"Thanks," Zoey sniffled. "I really needed you there."

"What happened?" Max asked. The whole time she'd been crying his mind had been racing, trying to guess why. It was becoming unbearable to see her and not know enough to help.

"Simon broke up with me," Zoey finally said.

Max's stunned brain took a moment to comprehend his reaction to this. On the one hand he was happy, blissfully happy, but on the other his happiness wasn't worth her sorrow.

As his only form of reply, Max wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. "You'll always have me," he said.

"And I'll always need you," Zoey whispered back.

And suddenly Max was full of a strange desire to tell Zoey for real how he'd felt about her their whole lives. For the first time in what felt like forever they were both single at the same time. If he waited like he did before this vicious cycle could start all over again.

"I know now might not be the best time," Max began. "But after so long hoping to get another chance at this I just feel I need to tell you now rather than run the risk of waiting too long again."

"He said the only thing we had in common was grief," Zoey exclaimed. "He said we were only together because our dads were dead." She definitely wasn't listening to him and maybe that was for the best. Now was not the time, despite his totally failing to pick a good time before.

"That wasn't a very nice thing to say," Max consoled her.

"Yeah but what if he was right," Zoey continued. "What if that really was the only reason we were together? What if after dad died I went a little crazy and looked for a distraction until I found Simon?"

"You knew Simon before your dad's heart attack," Simon reminded her.

"Yeah but I didn't really see him till after," Zoey sniffed. "I'll never find love if I can't care about people in any way except what they can do for me."

"Shh shh Zoey," Max cooed. "That just isn't true at all. You've already found love."

"I have?" Zoey asked, clearly confused.

"I love you," he said.

"Yeah I suppose that's right," Zoey said, looking a little happier. "I love you too. My best friend, my mom and my brother and even Emily. If I can have that kind of love, then maybe I can have romantic love one day too."

"Yeah," Max replied, trying to hold back a sigh.

"What's the matter?" Zoey asked him.

Max didn't know how to put it into words. Instead he gently held her face in his own and looked deep into her eyes. He didn't know how to convey the complex web of emotion inside his heart.

He moved just a little bit closer as if meaning to kiss her, just to see how she would react. Her slight intake of breath causes his stomach to do strang backflips. He pulled away, so as not to alarm her. Her body language very clearly indicated that she didn't want to kiss him.

"What are you doing?" Zoey asked.

"I just want you to know," Max said. "There's more love here for me than just friendship."

"For how long?" Zoey asked.

"A long time," Max replied.

"Anyway at least now you know," Max continued. He got up off the bed and turned to leave, scared to stay and feel the pain of real rejection. Just her obvious reluctance to kiss him after his confession was stinging more than he'd thought it would. His timing, as ever, was terrible.

"Max wait where are you going?" Zoey asked, sitting up more on the bed.

He didn't want to respond, but despite deciding not to turn and face her he did just that.

"Are you okay?" Zoey asked him.

"I'm not sure," he replied honestly. After all what did it matter if she didn't feel the same. At least this time he hadn't chickened out.

She got off the bed and moved a little closer. Max wasn't quite sure what she was after until suddenly she was hugging him. It wasn't like they'd never hugged before, it was just now with Max feeling so raw and vulnerable he wasn't sure he could take it. Max pulled out of the hug.

"If you're feeling better," Max said, trying to keep smiling though he sensed he wasn't succeeding. "I'm gonna go."

"Just promise me that when you get over this crush we'll still be friends," Zoey said. He could tell she meant it kindly, but the word 'crush' suddenly had him seething.

"Reject me all you want but please don't belittle me by calling the love I've felt for you my entire life a 'crush'," Max almost yelled. "I've never looked anywhere else Zoey. Never seen anyone else." His anger had all but melted away as he added, "It's just you. It's always been you."

"What about Autumn?" Zoey asked, shocked.

"I only went out with her to make you happy," Max explained. "And besides we broke up a week ago."

"Oh I'm sorry," Zoey said. "Why didn't you tell me? I bet that's what's really upsetting you."

"No don't you get it," Max said softly. He hadn't any energy left to be angry. He was spent, but speaking. "This hurts more. You just now rejecting me is worse than a thousand Autumn break ups."

Unable to bear even a moment more, Max turned from her. Hoping against all hope that she wouldn't call out to him again because he knew if she did, like the fool he was, Max would follow her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Anyone else want to shake some sense into silly Zoey? Though to be fair Max has the worse timing on the planet lol.  
> \-----------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 11
> 
> With Simon out of the picture, Max at least was saved from listening to Zoey talk about him. The worst of the pain subsided after a month or so and Max felt able to spend time with his best friend again who he had missed terribly. What had really helped him get over it was realizing that he needed her in his life, no matter the form of their relationship he wanted to be by her side till the end of his days. If friends was all she wanted than friends she would get. Max just couldn't imagine his world without her in it.


	11. Spring 2013

Spring 2013

It hadn't taken long after his melt down for them to communicate a little more directly, mostly over text messages. Max had explained that he definitely wanted to stay friends even if he might need a little space for a while and Zoey had apologized that she'd just never seen him that way and didn't know how to start, plus she expressed concern that if they dated it might ruin their amazing friendship. And that was that.

With Simon out of the picture, Max at least was saved from listening to Zoey talk about him. The worst of the pain subsided after a month or so and Max felt able to spend time with his best friend again who he had missed terribly. What had really helped him get over it was realizing that he needed her in his life, no matter the form of their relationship he wanted to be by her side till the end of his days. If friends was all she wanted than friends she would get. Max just couldn't imagine his world without her in it.

Though this resolution was going to totally ruin his dating life. He knew right now if he tried to date anyone it would just end up a disaster like before. No, as long as he was in love with Zoey, Max was gonna save himself the drama and stay single.

To his great surprise Zoey followed suit. After her break up with Simon she didn't date. Oo matter how hard he wished her reasoning to be about him, Max knew it was only because she hadn't gotten over Simon yet.

Life developed a new balance. Though he was spending more time with Zoey again, Max made a point to keep in touch with Leif and Tobin. In fact, sometimes the four of them would hang out. Of course the first time this happened, both guys hung back after to ask Max all kinds of annoying questions about Zoey. But once the initial explanation of how "yes he'd told her and no she didn't reciprocate and yes they were still friends" was over everything seemed to settle down.

As final exams approached, their classes were getting harder. This meant that more and more of his time with Zoey became his time studying with Zoey.

"Just think this time next year we will be about to graduate with Bachelors in Computer Science!" Zoey said giddy.

"Not if we don't pass our exam we ain't," Max sighed.

"Mood killer," Zoey groaned, as she reopened her textbook.

"We're still on for tomorrow though?" Max asked.

"Yep," Zoey chirped. "Come rain or shine or extra homework we are going to the Aquarium. I wanna see that new baby otter."

Max smiled. Then reminded himself that it wasn't a date and got back to his coding. Sigh. If only his little foolish heart didn't flutter so.

They called it a night at around ten and Max walked her home though she giggled at him for it.

"It's just across the street," Zoey teased him.

"I know," Max replied.

He knew it was silly though it had been their routine as kids and Max didn't want to change it. Besides it was a beautiful night outside and the fresh air did the study-addled brain a world of good.

Max awoke the next morning already excited for a day out with Zoey. Getting dressed in a hurry and thanking his mom for breakfast on his way out the door, Max knocked on Zoey's door. Maggie answered.

"Good morning Max. Have you come to save my microwave?" Maggie asked him.

"That depends," Max replied cautiously. "On what it needs saving from?"

"Zoey," Maggie answered, as she gestured for him to come in.

And sure enough as he entered the kitchen there was Zoey sitting on the kitchen floor with the family microwave in pieces in front of her.

"What happened?" Max asked moving closer to sit beside her on the floor.

"I took it apart," Zoey explained, sulkily.

"I can see that," Max almost chuckled. "Can you tell me why?"

"To put it back together again," Zoey replied.

"Ok-ay," Max said slowly. "Let me rephrase. What happened to make you want to take apart the microwave?"

Zoey looked up at him with those eyes he knew all too well. "I just found out this morning," Zoey said in an empty voice. "Simon's been dating this girl from a different school for weeks now." Moving closer, Max wrapped his arms around her and she hugged him back fiercely. "Her name's Jessica or something," Zoey continued in his ear. "Stupid name. Jessica."

When Zoey finally pulled out of the hug she looked a bit happier and Max was glad.

"So shall we get this microwave back into one piece together?" Max asked, with a smile.

"Yeah," Zoey smiled back. Her eyes were glossy but she hadn't actually cried. Max couldn't help but be hopeful that this meant she was moving past Simon.

"And don't forget we still have to go see that baby otter today," Max reminded her.

"But first mom might want this microwave to work while we are out," Zoey said sheepishly.

"Yes she would dear," Maggie's voice piped in from the living room chair around the corner where Max suspected she was eavesdropping while pretending to read a book. "When you move out Zoey feel free to take apart your own microwave as often as you like." Maggie chuckled.

"Thanks mom," Zoey groaned, rolling her eyes.

By the time they got the microwave back into working order, Max could understand why she'd done this as a de-stressing activity. There was something meditative about putting all those pieces back in the right place. Peaceful almost.

The Aquarium after was anything but, with all those people bustling around and so many things to see. Max was glad they went though. The whole experience seemed to help take Zoey's mind off Simon and the baby otter was pretty darn cute too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So funny story…. I seem to have mixed up the actor's and character's name for Zoey's brother. I started this story thinking the characters name was Andrew and it stuck, but after an accidental discovering it seems that Andrew is the actor's name who plays David Clarke aka Zoey's Brother on the show. Oops! As this is an AU I am just gonna leave the name, but that is totally my bad. Maybe cause my dad's name was David I just didn't link the two or something. Anyway what did you think of the chapter? Just a short in-between type chapter here, but the next one... you're gonna like ;)  
> \---------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 12
> 
> "Have you at least finished applying to all the jobs I sent you?" Zoey asked as they began walking to the bus stop.
> 
> "How could I not," Max chuckled. "With you reminding me every ten seconds."
> 
> "We have to work at the same company!" Zoey exclaimed. "I told you I already decided this."
> 
> "You don't have control over everything in the universe Zoey," Max reminded her affectionately. "They might only want one of us even if we both apply."
> 
> "Well then we can just refuse until they want both of us," Zoey replied stubbornly.
> 
> "Yeah that is the stupidest idea I've ever heard," he said. "Fresh out of school without any experience means you take what you can get."
> 
> Zoey just waved her hand dismissively and added, "We will cross that bridge when we come to it."


	12. Summer 2014

Summer 2014

Both Max and Zoey had decided they didn't want to continue on with a Master's degree right away. It was time for a little practical experience in the real world of computers. So when Max walked out of that last exam suddenly the world felt about ten times bigger. He was done. Done being a full time student forever. It was a strange kind of feeling.

"How do you think you did on that last one?" Zoey asked. They'd met up after the exam at the coffee shop on campus. "I mean I wasn't really sure about question twelve, kinda guessed. Did you know it?"

"I have no idea," Max laughed.

"What's the use of us taking the same exam if we can't talk about it afterwards?" Zoey asked.

"It's nice to have a study buddy?" Max offered. She just laughed and fake punched his arm.

"Ow," Max mocked her, before they got up together and headed out. They were catching the bus today like they did everyday headed home from classes. It was only during the winter months that they got rides home from their parents when the snow got high or the temperature dropped below thirty.

"Have you at least finished applying to all the jobs I sent you?" Zoey asked as they began walking to the bus stop.

"How could I not," Max chuckled. "With you reminding me every ten seconds."

"We have to work at the same company!" Zoey exclaimed. "I told you I already decided this."

"You don't have control over everything in the universe Zoey," Max reminded her affectionately. "They might only want one of us even if we both apply."

"Well then we can just refuse until they want both of us," Zoey replied stubbornly.

"Yeah that is the stupidest idea I've ever heard," he said. "Fresh out of school without any experience means you take what you can get."

Zoey just waved her hand dismissively and added, "Oh and working at the same company means we could carpool to work, sinceI assume at least one of us will end up with a car once we have jobs."

"That is a logical assumption," Max replied. "Since not all the jobs we applied for are on good bus routes."

"Same job, plus carpooling to and from," Zoey said with a grin. "School or no school, this plan is perfect to maintain the best friend status."

"Such faith," Max laughed. "After all this time, our entire lives, how could you doubt we'd stay best friends after school."

"Life has a way of moving people in different directions," Zoey explained. "And I just don't want that to happen to us." She paused as if for effect then added in an annoyed tone. "Especially since someone vetoed the best idea I had to work out some sort of system."

Max just shrugged innocently.

"Oh come one!" Zoey whined. "You know it would be so great to move out of our parents places and we could manage it with two incomes. It makes so much sense."

"Nope," Max repeated, with a smile. He so rarely refused her anything, but having found his hill to die on Max actually found it rather fun to turn her down.

"Spoil sport," Zoey grumbled.

"Just get one of your gal pals to split rent with you," Max suggested.

"They all have plans already," Zoey grumbled.

"Oh well then," Max smiled.

"Why are you so against this anyway?" Zoey whined. "I mean we could turn every night into our movie night! No parents around. First time out in the world as an adult with your best friend! What could be better than that?"

"You know why," Max replied easily.

"I do not!" Zoey shot back. "You've never explained."

"I have so," Max chuckled. "Besides it's obvious."

"Not to me," Zoey said stubbornly. Max stopped, turning to face her. Had she really not figured it out? How could that be possible?

Standing there facing her with those beautiful honest curious eyes of hers all Max wanted was to kiss her. It was like she was a magnet and he couldn't pull away. The backflip sensations in his stomach were just the same as they'd been from the start. Even while enjoying the sensation Max was extremely frustrated with himself. Why couldn't he just move past this? Like really! How many years of unrequited love and he still got butterflies! It was just ridiculous.

"It's just not a good idea," Max replied, taking a step back from her and continuing to walk towards the bus stop which was in view now. Zoey grumbled something under her breath. He couldn't make out the words, but he got the general idea. She was annoying at not getting an answer.

But what was he supposed to say? 'Sorry I can't move in with you as just your roommate because I'm still totally in love with you even after trying not to be for years.' Was she really gonna make him say it! Couldn't she just figure it out on her own so it didn't get weird?

They got on the bus and the topic switched to the exam they'd just taken. Max decided to resign himself to the conversation. He wasn't ever the slightest bit interested in talking about tests after they were over but he'd rather talk about exam questions than have her ask again why they couldn't be roommates.

By the time they got off the bus Max was pretty sure they'd all but gone over every question a thousand times. How this girl got off being so smart and so beautiful he had no idea. It truly was an unfair combination. Stupid beautiful, brilliant Zoey, always messing with his head. No wonder he couldn't get over her!

"What's with that face?" Zoey asked him as they were walking away from the bus stop they'd just been dropped at.

"Huh," Max replied, a bit distracted. "Oh nothing."

"No it's not nothing," Zoey didn't let him off the hook. "I've seen that look on your face before lots of times, but you never tell me what it means."

Max just shrugged. "I was just thinking," he said. 'About you,' he added, but only in his own mind.

"Yeah about what?" Zoey asked.

"I don't have to tell you everything, you know," Max grinned at her. Again he found denying her something quite a lot more enjoyable than he'd expected. Actually now that he thought about it, not telling her what he was thinking when he was thinking romantically about her, and not agreeing to be roommates with her might actually be the only times in their entire relationship that he'd ever denied her anything. That is if you don't count his needing space after that disastrous love confession two winters ago.

"Urg I hate it when you do that," Zoey groaned, as they turned the corner onto their street.

"Do what?" Max chuckled.

"Don't tell me things," Zoey replied.

"Zoey, I tell you everything," Max told her easily with a slightly frustrated sigh.

"Uh uh," Zoey disagreed with a shake of her head. "What were you thinking about just now and why can't we be roommates?"

"Okay so I've only ever not told you two things," Max laughed. "All in all that really isn't bad you know."

"Still bugs me," Zoey grumbled. She was so adorable, Max couldn't resist reaching out his hand to mess up her hair, but he resisted the urge to move his hand down to the side of her face and cup her cheek.

"You're doing it again!" Zoey groaned. "That look on your face. What does it mean?"

"I hate to break it to you Zo," Max laughed. "But your mad face today isn't all that scary."

"Just tell me!" Zoey exclaimed. Max dropped the teasing tone. She'd never been this serious about it before. It didn't make any sense.

Max let out the breath he'd been holding slowly. "But I have told you," Max whiserped.

"Tell me again," Zoey smiled up at him.

There was a long pause in which Max wasn't quite sure what to do. In the end though he gave in.

"I love you," Max told her simply. The expression on her face told him that this time his tone must have reflected the type of love he meant. Feeling like this was his chance to properly elaborate before she never wanted him to talk about it again, Max continued. "From the moment I first saw you, Zoey you pulled at my heart until one day when I wasn't even paying attention you held it in your hand and it's been yours ever since."

"That's what I was thinking about just now," Max finished in a more casual voice. "And that's why I can't be your roommate." Max turned to face forward and started walking again, deciding it was best to act like this was no big deal. "And since technically you know all this already, I really don't understand why you were so insistent." Still he couldn't help but smile. This time had felt more like how he'd wanted to tell her in the first place. Pity it was wasted on a repeat explanation, but still he was glad he got to say it better.

"I wonder what Maggie is making for dinner tonight," Max said, conversational looking up at the sky as he walked. "I know my dad's out at some meeting or something so mom probably won't do anything special."

He stopped and turned only when he realized Zoey wasn't walking beside him. "You okay?" he asked. She didn't speak. "Sorry I guess I shouldn't have brought it up, though you did insist." He laughed, trying to lighten the mood and tell her everything was okay all at the same time.

"I don't get it," Zoey finally spoke, moving forward just a little to be standing a few feet in front of him again. "How you can say that and then laugh?"

"This is old news, Zoey," Max said gently. "I've come to terms with it. I can be your friend."

"When you first told me I- I- thought," Zoey began. "Well, I don't know what I thought. I wasn't exactly in the best head space. I couldn't imagine you meant it to the degree you believed you did." She paused, still looking up at him. Max almost wanted to hold his breath, scared that if he interrupted she'd stop talking.

"Then things seemed to get better and I didn't worry about it anymore," Zoey continued. "But still the way you'd reacted to me calling it a crush," -she paused taking a deep breath- "I couldn't help thinking about it sometimes.

What if you'd been as serious as you seemed? What did that mean about my past actions? Ignorant of how you were feeling, did I hurt you? But again you seemed better so I tried not to worry."

"And then just now. The way you spoke. You're so sure. Not a single shred of doubt in your voice. Completely resigned. It's like it's become normal for you to hold back with me. How can you be okay with that?"

"I need you in my life," Max stated simply and with perfect certainty.

"That's it!" Zoey almost yelled. "How can it really be that simple!?" They were standing right in the middle of the street now, just a few houses over from theirs.

"You don't want to date me," Max stated. "And I can't lose you. What other options do I have?"

And just like that Zoey was crying. They were silent tears rolling down her face and the very sight of them made Max reach forward and hold her in his arms. It was a reflex, action taken without thought.

"Why?" Zoey wept. "Why?"

"I don't understand," Max replied.

She pulled out of the hug, and turned her tear stained face to look up at him. "You're always there when I need you, always make everything about me. All I do is hold you at arm's length and yet you're still here. Still putting herself second, still-" her words were cut off by her sobs.

Gently, lifting the love of his life into his arms, Max carried her past their neighbors to her home. He knew she wouldn't want the neighbors to see her cry. The front door of the house was unlocked which meant Maggie was home though not near the door so Max carried Zoey all the way up the stairs into her room. Placing her softly on the bed, Max sat beside her.

"Home now," Max smiled at her. "So you can relax. Everything is fine. There's no need to cry, Zo." All he wanted was to stop her from crying, but he hadn't a clue how to do that, because he really didn't understand why she was crying in the first place.

Zoey sat up, staring at him with this strange look in her eyes. "You're so stupid," she told him, before flinging her arms around his neck and planting a peck on his lips.

Max hardly knew how to react. The shock and indecision kept him frozen. Still he could taste the salt of her tears in their kiss, but before he could so much as process what had happened it was over.

"Why'd you do that?" Max whispered, stunned.

"You deserve better than second," Zoey told him.

Max didn't really understand, but his self control was unable to resist a Zoey who wanted to kiss him. Holding back with her took energy, energy which he suddenly no longer possessed. Reaching forward with all the desperation of a drowning man in need of a life raft, Max pulled her in and kissed her properly. His one hand cupped her cheek, and then quickly moved down her back. The feelings pounding through him were unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Love required was making his heart pound like his head might explode.

"Are you sure Zoey?" Max gasped, when they broke apart. She had quite literally taken his breath away, but even so he wanted to understand.

"I'm scared," she said. "But I'd be lying if I said I'd never wondered what if."

"Why are you scared?" Max asked, reaching up to place a hand on the side of her cheek. It was a strange kind of relief to touch her this way, casually as if he were allowed to comfort her like a lover and not a friend.

"What if it ends?" Zoey explained. "What if we have a horrible break up and I lose you forever?" Her eyes were welling up with tears again, and Max knew at once how serious a worry this was for her.

"Okay yes fair point, but Zoey what if it doesn't end?" Max countered.

Zoey hiccuped. "I will never understand how you can be so beautiful even when you're crying," Max smiled, using his finger to wipe away a tear from her cheek. Again the relief of telling her exactly what he was thinking when he thought it, along with touching her, felt amazing.

Zoey blushed, the cheek behind his hand growing hot.

"Please don't be scared, Zoey," Max told her. He couldn't believe how light his heart was, like some huge weight had been lifted.

"Can't help it," Zoey said.

"I can't claim to be an expert, but it's my understanding that relationships work or don't work based on how much they are valued by those in them," Max whispered, holding her face gently in his hands as he gazed into her eyes. "You're scared to lose me," - Zoey nodded - "but what you don't see is that I am terrified of losing you."

"You are?"

"Of course, I am, silly girl," Max replied, leaning forward to rest his forehead against hers. "For my entire life you've been at the center of everything. Sometimes I don't think I even know who I am without you beside me."

"So does this mean you'll be my roommate now?" Zoey asked, sheepishly.

"I'll be your boyfriend," Max answered. "And if my girlfriend wants me to live with her, who am I to say no."

"Boyfriend," Zoey mumbled, clearly flustered. "That word feels odd. I mean don't people date first?"

"I do believe we are well past the getting to know you stage," Max smiled at her. Again he gently stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, enjoying the blush it left in its wake.

"I just- I mean," Zoey fumbled. "It's gonna take some getting used to."

"I love you," Max told her earnestly. "I've been in love with you all my life and at this point I am convinced I'll be in love with you for the rest of my life." Her eyes widened just a little as he spoke. Feeling about as high as a kite, Max leaned in to kiss her again, taking care to be slow. His hands tenderly moving down her sides as the kiss deepened. Zoey fell back on the bed and he followed, lost in the moment.

Panting slightly, partly due to his pounding heart making him dizzy, Max pulled away to whisper in her ear. "If you don't like girlfriend, I have another word that would work for me..." he couldn't help but tease her. Zoey's soft voice replied only to inquire as to what he meant. "Wife," Max whispered. Then laughed, reaching out to wrap his arms around her in a fiercely possessive hug. He was still laying on top of her on the bed, just now with his arms warped around her and his face buried in her neck.

And then he was kissing her neck, down her arms. Every bit of Zoey he could reach needed kissing and every soft moan or gasp from her lips acted as his encouragement.

"I love you," he repeated in her ear whenever his lips were nearby.

His hand moved down to her rest on her hip before skipping the skin along the belt of her jeans. Any point of contact with Zoey's skin felt like his nerves were alight and drowned out any other sensory information. He couldn't resist the skin on skin contact and next his hand was under her shirt, gently teasing her skin.

Zoey was breathing heavily now. She pressed her hands to his chest and pushed just the smallest bit. It was the first indication he'd gotten from her that he should stop. Max pulled away at once.

"Sorry," he said. "I might have gotten a bit carried away there. I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Zoey panted. "I just- need to process. I- I- mean- bit overwhelming."

"Sorry," Max said, repeated barring his face in his hands.

How had he done this again? Ruined everything! Stupid, stupid idiot, just had to lose his marbles and explode twenty something years of repressed emotion on her all at once. Of course, she was totally done with it.

"I'll go," Max said, still with his hands covering his face. "I'm sorry. I-"

But then he felt Zoey's hands gently reach up to uncover his face. "Don't be sorry," Zoey told him. To his great relief she was smiling. "I had no idea you had so much bottled up inside."

"I- I- mean I don't think I quite knew it myself either," Max mumbled.

"It's funny," Zoey continued with that same zen look on her face. "I just never once thought he had that couple spark you know. I never considered the possibility that you could get my heart pounding like this." And then she reached forward and grabbed his hand, placing it on her heart.

Thud, thud, thud. Her heart was beating quite rapidly, in time with his own. Max could feel his pounding heart in his ears, but it seemed like maybe she could too.

"Something we can explore," Zoey smiled at him. "In our own apartment."

"Yes," Max said, relieved beyond belief that he hadn't just ruined everything he'd always wanted and never thought he'd have. Slowly, so she had time to push him away if she so wanted to, Max reached forward to pull her into his arms and whisper in her ear, "Nothing on this earth could make me happier."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So was it worth the wait? 
> 
> It's so strange not having an editor. Usually I'd get their opinion on such an important chapter as this to make sure I was true to the characters and plots, but just me on this one since I don't know any editors who liked Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist...
> 
> Also no sneak peek for the next chapter as I haven't quite figured out what it's going to be yet. Originally I had planned for it to be a 6months later kinda thing but now I'm wondering if you would rather have something to continue this scene? Let me know in the comments in I should add another chapter with a time sooner than 6 months.
> 
> (UPDATE: By unanimous vote I wrote a continuation to this scene as the next chapter. I had intended it to be just a short little thing but it became basically chapter length sooo...)  
> \-----------------------------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 13
> 
> "Anyway, so what do we do now?" she asked.
> 
> "If you want more time to process I could leave for today and see you tomorrow," Max suggested, but Zoey vetoed that by reaching forward and holding him there by his shirt. Max couldn't help but smile. "How about going downstairs then unless you wanna make out some more?" He chuckled. It was hard to resist smiling right now; his heart felt lighter than air.
> 
> "Downstairs," Zoey said, then she stopped. "Oh shit this means I have to tell mom!"
> 
> "It's okay," Max smiled at her suddenly anxious expression. "I can assume you she's been expecting this for years."
> 
> "WHAT!?" Zoey almost yelled.


	13. Moments Later

Moments Later

"This means we can go apartment shopping," Zoey said excitedly.

"Yeah it does," Max whispered back.

"Great," Zoey grinned. "Cause I was thinking the Mongunmary building has some really beautiful balcony apartments."

"I have heard that as well," Max smiled at her. He couldn't help smiling. It was almost strange how much his life had changed in the last ten minutes and yet it was the same. He was still here beside his best friend like he always had been.

Max had kinda stopped listening as Zoey began listing all the good qualities of the apartment complex, comparing them to other rental listings she'd researched. He was happy to just look at her in such an animated fashion. He hadn't quite realized until now just how much she'd wanted to live with him.

"What's with that dopy look on your face?" Zoey asked, her eyes narrowing accusingly.

"I just can't help it," Max laughed. "I feel kinda high at the moment if I'm being honest. Like I'm dreaming."

Zoey's hand moved and suddenly there was a jolt of pain up Max's arm. She'd pinched him. "Ouch!" Max complained. "What was that for?"

"See you aren't dreaming," Zoey told him firmly.

"Thanks for the clarification," Max laughed.

"What are friends for?" Zoey mumbled.

"Physical violence it would seem," Max chuckled.

"Serves you right for thinking this was all a dream," Zoey said in a huff.

Max decided to keep his very sappy thoughts to himself. His mind however knew that if this was a dream, he would have happily dreamed his life away. All these romantic thoughts were making him want to kiss her again, but he decided to wait a little. After all, he'd had a lifetime of practice at not kissing her, surely he could wait till she wanted to kiss him too.

"Hey Max," Zoey began. "Can I ask you something?"

Max almost laughed at the absurdity of her question. "Of course you can," he said instead.

"What was the first moment you can remember thinking about me romantically?" she asked, so directly she quite caught him off guard. Max paused for a moment, trying to figure out the best way to answer her before speaking.

"It goes back so far it's hard to remember a start," Max began. He wanted a proper answer for her and thought hard about it until he realized. "Though maybe when we had champagne at your brother's wedding and you fell asleep in my lap. I do remember something new about how I felt then, but I'm also very sure I didn't become aware of anything for years after that."

"I see," Zoey said, as she buried her face in his chest. Max wrapped his arms around her gently, still marveling at how it felt to hold her.

She didn't speak for a while after that and the silence started to become too much so he broke it.

"I wish I knew what you were thinking right now," Max said, simply.

"Oh just the past," Zoey answered. "Seeing it from a new perspective." She paused for a moment then added. "So this is why you were so down back when I was with Simon, huh?" She hid her face even more from him as she added, "Urg and I used to go on and on about him too. I'm the worst!"

"Hey now," Max said, gently encouraging her to look at him with a hand under her chin. "You didn't know."

"I mean I could have guessed," Zoey grumbled. "If I'd been willing to really notice anything."

"All behind us now," Max told her kindly. "Let's not worry about the past."

"Yeah probably a good idea," Zoey answered with a sigh.

"After all it's the future that I'm excited about," Max smiled at her.

Zoey blushed, but mumbled her agreement. The colour in her cheeks only improved her beauty and he wanted to kiss her again.

Slowly, Max placed his hand on her cheek to encourage her to look up at him. She'd had her face hidden from him for much of their conversation. Now she was looking right at him, her eyes fixed on his.

"What are you thinking right now?" Zoey asked him.

"Nothing terribly original," Max smiled.

"Oh yeah like what?" Zoey prompted.

"Oh just something along the lines of Zoey looks very kissable right now," Max explained, and to his delight his words deepened her blush. Max stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, unable to keep from smiling.

"Well kiss me then," Zoey said, stubbornly.

"Oh is that how it is," Max laughed. She nodded. "I don't think so. If you're so eager why don't you kiss me?" He threw her own words back at her.

For a moment nothing happened. It seemed to Max that Zoey was gathering her determination. Still Max couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"How am I supposed to kiss you like that," Zoey grumbled. "Unless you want me to make out with your teeth?"

"It's your fault for making me smile so much," Max teased her.

"Oh shut up," Zoey replied, as she launched herself forward, throwing him flat on his back on her bed.

And then she was kissing him. Max's arms wrapped around her without a moment's hesitation. Despite having her entire weight on him unsupported, Max could breath easily. She was so light and warm; he felt like he could have stayed like this here forever.

"So what do we do now?" Zoey asked, when their kiss inevitably ended.

"Making plans to find an apartment I suppose," Max began. "At some point though I think we'll have to go downstairs, unless you wanna make out some more?" He added eagerly. It was impossible to resist smiling right now.

"Downstairs," Zoey said thoughtfully, then she stopped. "Oh shit this means I have to tell mom!"

"How is this only occurring to you now?" Max asked, quite surprised.

"Oh hush," Zoey replied. "It's been an information overload kinda day okay."

"Fair enough," Max smiled. "Still I wouldn't worry about Maggie. I'm pretty sure she's been expecting this for years."

"WHAT!?" Zoey almost yelled.

"Actually, it was your dad who first made me realize I loved you," Max told her. "He said the way I gazed at you when no one was looking reminded him of how he fell for your mom. I always figured he'd told Maggie about it, though come to think of it she never did confirm."

"Wait what?" Zoey said. "Dad knew?"

"Yeah," Max said, sitting up on the bed. "After his first heart attack, Mitch started bugging me about when I was gonna confess everything to you. He said he'd been really surprised we got through all of high school without dating. He kept encouraging me to tell you."

"Why have you never told me this before?" Zoey asked, looking at him very earnestly.

"Well you know I hadn't actually admitted to you how I felt yet so telling you that your father knew would have been a weird way of confessing to you," Max tried to laugh but he could sense how serious she was taking the topic and his laughter fell short.

"What about after you told me?" Zoey inquired.

"Well it was my word against his," Max mumbled, not looking at her. "And you and I didn't really talk about it again so why would I bring it up."

"No really Max," Zoey asked again firmly. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-" Max said. He took a deep breath before looking right in her eyes and saying aloud what he'd barely admitted to himself all these years. "I didn't want the only reason you were with me to be because you thought it was what your late father wanted." He couldn't help it. Max averted his eyes again, looking at the ground instead of her.

Silence followed his words, a silence filled only with Max's anxious about what she'd say next.

"I don't know what I would have done if you'd told me then," Zoey said eventually after a long pause. "When I started dating Simon I- I think I knew on some level that part of it was just me reaching desperately for someone who understood what I was going through. I didn't want to give his reason for dumping me credit and it took me a long time to admit this to myself, but looking back now I can see it." Again she paused, but Max didn't dare interrupt her. "If I'd found out then that this is what dad had wanted, I might have- I mean I might have dived in without thinking."

"And I'd have accepted," Max stated simply, knowing it to be true.

Zoey shuffled forward on the bed and wrapped her arms around him. "Then it's a good thing it worked out the way it did then," Zoey whispered against his shirt. Max squeezed her tighter.

"If my life has taught me anything it's that timing is important," Max said, leaning down to bury his face in her hair. "And you, my love, are worth the wait."

"You gotta stop saying all this embarrassing mushy stuff," Zoey mumbled against his chest.

"For you I'll try," Max chuckled. "But it will take effort."

"Sap," Zoey said in an accusing tone. Max couldn't suppress his chuckle.

"So does this mean you're ready to introduce this sap to your mother?" Max asked.

"She knows you already, idiot," Zoey replied, pulling out of their hug to swat at him playfully again.

"Yeah but this time as your boyfriend," Max replied.

"My boyfriend Max," Zoey repeated thoughtfully. "That is gonna take some getting used to. Maybe I'll start with a nickname... like Panda. Oh or Bean."

Max just chuckled before leaning in to hug her. "You can call me whatever you want just so long as I'm yours and you're mine. Exclusive and romantic are my only concerns."

"Against sharing huh?" Zoey teased him.

"Uh ha," Max confirmed. Slowly, lifting his face from her shoulder to look in her eyes before leaning in to kiss her, his hands roamed over her hips, finding the gap between her shirt and jeans and trailing along it until he heard her inhale sharply.

"Hmm," Zoey mumbled. Max loved how distracted she sounded. All he wanted was to distract her more but he knew baby steps were a good idea so he leaned out of the kiss.

"Maggie?" Max said instead, moving just a little ways away so as to let Zoey focus her thoughts.

"Right yeah," Zoey said with a shake of her head.

Despite how well he knew Maggie would take the news, Zoey still looked nervous. Max saw this as a good sign. To him it meant that Zoey was taking them seriously. After all, she wouldn't be nervous telling her mother about a new relationship she didn't value.

Smiling, Max squeezed her hand gently and whispered, "I'll be right beside you the whole time."

"You promise?" Zoey asked.

"For the rest of my life," Max answered, easily. He'd known for a long time now that at Zoey's side was where he would always be, albit until today he'd assumed his role beside her was that of the reliable friend. The events of today had shattered the glass ceiling by which he'd lived his life up until now.

"Alright then," Zoey said with more confidence than before. "Let's go downstairs."

"Ladies first," Max smiled, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him.

But rather than take his suggestion, Zoey reached out to grasp Max's hand. They walked like that to the stairs, and once at the bottom, Zoey took his hand again. Max let himself he led, all the while enjoying the new and wonderful sensation of Zoey holding his hand. She stopped when they were near Maggie's greenhouse room. At least that was what Max had always called it. Maggie herself was elbow deep in dirty replanting something; Max couldn't quite tell what.

"Hey mom," Zoey said, in that shy nervous voice Max was so unaccustomed to hearing from her.

Maggie talked a little about what she was making for dinner, unaware that Max was there until she turned around. Her eyes traveled slowly, taking in their joined hands and her daughtered nervous expression.

After a moment she smiled. "It's about time," she said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to upload guys. The first draft was done ages ago but I just knew it wasn't any good. The problem was that I couldn't quite figure out why till I sent it to a friend of mine and everything was revealed!
> 
> So thanks to KemiRD for helping me with this chapter.  
> \-------------------------------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 14
> 
> After graduation, Zoey threw herself into apartment hunting. Rather than make things more complicated Max had just agreed to everything Zoey wanted. In the end all he really cared about was who he lived with, not really where.
> 
> "By that logic maybe I should just rent us out a cardboard box?" Zoey had snapped back when Max explained why he wasn't really weighing in on the apartment hunting.
> 
> "Of course not," Max had replied easily. "You would never be happy in a cardboard box." Zoey had rolled her eyes and called him hopeless.
> 
> After a little more back and forth and a couple apartment tours, they managed to find a lovely little one bedroom apartment just a quarter hour drive from downtown.
> 
> Having lived up till now in the same house his whole life Max had found moving to a bit of a strange concept. Still, moving with Zoey made it all worth it.


	14. Winter 2015

Winter 2015

Changing their relationship status from platonic to romantic had been a lot simpler than Max had expected. To Zoey's shock, it seemed no one in their life was all that surprised to hear she'd started dating Max. Maggie confirmed she'd known about Max's feelings for Zoey almost as long as her husband had. Then went on to say that she'd thought of Max as pretty much family for most of his life and was thrilled to consider him truly family now that he was with Zoey. Tobin and Lief had just given Max high fives once they discovered Max had finally 'got the girl.' Even Max's parents were happy about it though not quite as much as Maggie. Max knew Mitch would have been happy for them too.

After graduation, Zoey threw herself into apartment hunting. Rather than make things more complicated Max had just agreed to everything Zoey wanted since in the end all he really cared about was who he lived with, not where.

"By that logic maybe I should just rent us out a cardboard box?" Zoey had snapped back when Max explained why he wasn't really weighing in on the apartment hunting.

"Of course not," Max had replied easily. "You would never be happy in a cardboard box." Zoey had rolled her eyes and called him hopeless.

After a little more back and forth and a couple apartment tours, they managed to find a lovely little one bedroom apartment just a quarter hour drive from the downtown building where they worked.

Having lived up till now in the same house his whole life Max had found moving a bit of a strange concept. Still, moving with Zoey made it all worth it.

Max had believed he'd known everything about Zoey after a lifetime of friendship, but living with her had taught him otherwise. It amazed him how much you could learn about a person simply by sharing the same living space with them. Things like how Zoey never closed the shower curtain all the way or left the lid off the toothpaste. When she made tea she always squeezed out the tea bag before throwing it away and she never ever made the bed. Still learning more about her imperfections just made him all the more in love with her.

Their co-workers however did not see it this way. When the people at work had learned that they not only worked together every day but also lived together, they were quite surprised. Often asking questions such as: "How do you not get sick of each other?"

Max would reply simply that they'd been friends for so long before becoming a couple that they were used to spending all their time together.

Even with gossiping coworkers, his first six months living with Zoey had been the happiest of Max's life so far. When Zoey was with him all the little ways life tried to get ya down never seemed to stick. Waking up on the wrong side of the bed didn't seem to matter anymore so long as she was there. In the end it was a small thing, but having that low-key constant state of peace in his life felt huge to him.

After knowing each other so long and living together for months it was no wonder that Max could read his girlfriend like a book, having made it his life's work to learn to do so. When she was upset he could always tell. Every little thing she did slightly out of the norm would send off alarm bells in his head, telling him something was wrong. The bells were so loud and yet sometimes he was very aware that no one else could hear them.

"Nothings wrong," Zoey replied to his concerned inquiry.

"You see I know you a little better than that," Max said, moving closer to wrap his arms around her from behind. "This is me remember. Please tell me what's wrong."

"It's really nothing," Zoey said again. "Or at least it should be nothing." Max encouraged her to speak by squeezing her into a short but tight hug. "It's just I found out this morning, Simon's getting married."

"I see," Max said, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her. It was the first time they'd been alone all day, having spent most of the day at work assigned to separate projects. They'd only just arrived home and started dinner moments ago.

"I don't want you to get the wrong idea," Zoey continued quickly. "I don't wish I was back with him or anything I just- I mean have you seen the woman he's marrying. She's gorgeous!"

"Not as gorgeous as you," Max argued.

"No like really you need to see the engagement picture he posted," Zoey continued. "She's insanely beautiful, like supermodel beautiful."

"So basically what you're saying is that she doesn't hold a candle to you," Max replied grinning. "Since the most beautiful woman in the world is all mine."

Zoey turned in his arms to glare at him. "Rose tinted goggles aside trust me if you had Jessica as an option you wouldn't look twice at me?" She gestured to herself and Max decided to really have a look. Since getting home from work, Zoey had changed into baggy pajama pants and an old oversized t-shirt. Her hair was looking the part of being up all day and showing signs of coming undone, bits sticking up in the back. It didn't matter to him if she wore a dress, her work clothes or just pjs, underneath she was always the same beautiful Zoey he'd loved all his life.

Max chuckled lightly as he stroked his girlfriend's cheek and said softly. "For such a smart woman you can be quite foolish sometimes." He paused to kiss her sweetly before continuing. "In my entire life, I've never looked at any woman who wasn't you, and you think this Jessica would tempt me now that I actually get to do this." He kissed her again, this time wrapping his arms around her. "And this." He continued as his hands found their way under her baggy t-shirt.

"But I'm a mess right now," Zoey tried to make her point, but he could tell she knew she was losing.

"A beautiful mess," Max replied. "My beautiful mess."

Neither of them spoke for a while while hands trailed over skin and lips parted then came together again.

"I am you know," Zoey whispered in his ear once they'd broken apart enough to speak.

"Am what?" Max asked, trying to pull his attention away from the feel of her skin and towards what she was saying.

"I'm yours," Zoey answered.

That did it. Max's attention was now fixed on her face, his thoughts of removing those baggy clothes of hers temporarily on hold.

"I probably should have said this a long time ago," Zoey began, looking down at her hands now. "Goodness knows it's probably been true for longer than I've been aware of it but..."

"Not really making a lot of sense here, honey," Max said when she didn't continue.

Zoey looked up at him then, slowly, purposely, her eyes making contact with his as she spoke. "I love you," she said. "I know I've technically said this to you before, but this time it's more than just a friend and- well yeah so that's out there now."

The more she fluttered the deeper her blush got and the more beautiful she looked. Max could feel the huge smile on his face as a fluttering feeling in his chest intensified. He reached forward to ever so gently hold her face in his hands. It felt like he'd waited all his life for her to return his love. When he kissed her Max tried to somehow express just how much her words meant to him.

As their lips mingled, his thoughts once again shifted to getting her out of those clothes and she followed his lead, working to unbutton his shirt. Dinner could wait.

Later they both laynaked on the bed, their breathing slowly returning to normal. Zoey's eyes were closed but Max was half sitting up, his gaze fixed on her. Reaching forward he began to gently stroke her beautiful red hair.

He couldn't help thinking that maybe she was ready now or at the very least ready to start the conversation.

"What are you staring at?" Zoey asked, clearly not as asleep as Max had believed her to be.

"The love of my life," Max replied.

Zoey groaned, turning to bury her face in the pillow. "You know I kinda understood all this stuff at the start, but it's been ages now and you are still as sappy as ever."

"Would you rather I was nonchalant?" Max asked, cheerfully. "Or maybe openly dismissive?"

"No I don't mean that I just-" Zoey turned to look at him though half her face was still obscured by the pillow. "It's embarrassing, saying stuff like that all the time?"

"It's just me and you here," Max replied confused. "Why would I be embarrassed around you?"

"Nevermind," Zoey said with a sigh as she buried her face in the pillow again.

Lifting his arm, Max placed his hand on the small of her back before slowly moving his fingers upward along her spine and over her shoulders. Her neck next needed attention and then along her hips and down her legs.

"You know there isn't a single inch of you that I don't love," Max said softly as his tracing fingers found their way to her inner thighs.

"That feels nice," Zoey said, readjusting her position so as to expose the underside of her arms to his exploring hands. Obliging, Max traced her skin for a while more as he gathered the courage to broach that certain topic that she might now be ready for.

"How are those anxiety levels?" Max asked gently. "Still worried we might have a horrible break up one day?"

"Why are you?" Zoey asked, turning quickly to look at him and dislodging his hand.

"No," Max stated firmly before leaning in to kiss her forehead.

"Good," Zoey said, laying back down.

"I'll take that as an affirmative on the anxiety then," Max replied.

Max couldn't help but think, maybe she wasn't ready after all. Still that was okay. He could wait, so long as they were together that was what mattered, not the how of it.

"I've had this feeling for a while now that you want to talk about something important," Zoey said after a moment. "So when you asked about my old worries I just I kinda-"

"Sometimes I forget how well you know me," Max replied. He focused so much on how well he knew her that it often escaped his notice that she could see through his expressions as well.

"So what is it you want to talk about then?" Zoey asked, sitting up in bed now like him.

"The future," Max answered. "Our future." Zoey didn't speak so Max continued. "This isn't me asking and you don't have to say anything, I just want to be honest with you about what I want our life to look like." Max took a deep breath and said calmly, "Not now, not tomorrow, but one day Zoey I do want to marry you, have kids with you, grow old with you."

Max waited, studying her face and wondering what thoughts could be behind those eyes. He tried not to theorize too much as he knew it would only make him worry.

"I just wanted to tell you," Max said when the silence dragged on. "And to add that even if you never want to get married, just this, us together, is enough for me. I promised to always be by your side and I will… I just-"

"You want to get married one day," Zoey finished his sentence for me.

"I want to marry you one day," Max corrected her.

"I love you," Zoey told him again. "And I think that one day I'll be ready for that too. All of it."

The smile that spread over his face, he felt sure gave her all the answer she needed. Grinning like he was, she could hardly suppose him to be unhappy. Max reached forward to pull her into a hug, holding her close to his heart where she'd always been and would remain for as long as he lived.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapters been done for a while but I had to get through my exams before editing it hence a whole week to wait. But I do hope to have the rest of this story all uploaded and marked complete before xmas. :) Since I have two new stories I want to start uploading and I make it a habit never to have more than two in progress at a time. (Which for the last 5 years has meant one story plus my main one that seems to never end.) Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Just fluff left guys. ^_^  
> \--------------------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 15
> 
> "Zoey honey I love you but we really should be working, not gossiping," Max sighed.
> 
> "Oh right," Zoey said, sheepishly. "I just can't wait till the announcement!"
> 
> "You and the rest of the floor," Max chuckled. "Now help me with his code. There's a bug somewhere but the computer can't find it."
> 
> "Right work," Zoey said firmly. "Tasks to be done. Where's my laptop?"
> 
> "In the spinny sofa chair," Max told her, pointing. She moved away to collect it and rejoined him at the main table to go over the code together.
> 
> About two hours later, Max's eyes were starting to see blur and he decided they needed a break. Checking if Zoey wanted anything as well, Max got up and headed to the elevator.
> 
> Two floors down something quite extraordinary happened. A man got on the elevator. Max stared at him, then did a double take. It couldn't be?


	15. Summer 2016

Summer 2016

This weekend would be two years since Max had moved in with Zoey and he had plans. The trouble was going to be making it to Friday without Zoey figuring him out.

There were rumors around the office that someone was going to get promoted which had everyone on edge or working overtime. Max wasn't too concerned about it though. He felt sure their boss, Joan, had already decided who was going to be promoted and everyone's last minute fretting wouldn't make a difference.

He was however grateful for the week's chaos as it was helping keep Zoey too occupied to notice Max acting strangely. The one downside of being in a relationship with your best friend is that they could read you like a book and Max wanted to keep this weekend a surprise. Monday Zoey had new projects to focus on. Tuesday her brother had called and Max had managed to avoid detection. Wednesday came and went without the slightest hint that she was on to him. Thursday however was a different story.

"Who could it be though?" Zoey asked for what felt like the fifth time today.

"Whoever Joan wants to see less of," Max chuckled. Zoey hit his shoulder. "Ow."

"I'm serious," Zoey continued.

"It won't be Leif or Tobin," Max replied. His old university friends had only started working at this company a few months ago after hearing about it from Max. "They're too new."

"That leaves who," Zoey continued. Max started listing the other people who worked on their floor, most of whom they didn't talk to much unless they were assigned to the same project. Next Zoey wanted to talk about who on his list would be the most likely to manage this floor now that Joan was moving up.

"Zoey honey I love you but we really should be working, not gossiping," Max sighed.

"Oh right," Zoey said, sheepishly. "I just can't wait till the announcement!"

"You and the rest of the floor," Max chuckled. "Now help me with his code. There's a bug somewhere but the computer can't find it."

"Right work," Zoey said firmly. "Tasks to be done. Where's my laptop?"

"In the spinny sofa chair," Max told her, pointing. She moved away to collect it and rejoined him at the main table to go over the code together.

About two hours later, Max's eyes were starting to see blur and he decided they needed a break. Checking if Zoey wanted anything as well, Max got up and headed to the elevator.

Two floors down something quite extraordinary happened. A man got on the elevator. Max stared at him, then did a double take. It couldn't be?

"Max right?" the guy said.

"Yeah," Max replied, with a nod.

"It's been a while."

Max nodded again, still processing who he was talking to.

"How is she?"

"Good, great even," Max said. "We've been together two years now."

"As I suspected," Simon replied. "You know when Zoey and I were together I was always jealous of you, not that I ever told her that. She was so adamant that you were only friends I didn't think pointing out the obvious was a good idea."

"Fair enough," Max said. Despite the unexpectedness of the moment, Max was actually quite happy to hear this. "So what brings you to our office?"

"Head hunting meeting," Simon said.

"So are you poaching from us or are we poaching you?" Max asked.

"The latter," Simon answered. "But I'm not sure if working here is a good idea. I didn't know you and Zoey were here."

"How do you know Zoey works here?" Max asked.

"She's always wherever you are," Simon replied, as if this was the most obvious thing in the work. Max decided to change the topic.

"Aren't you married now?" Max reminded him.

"Yeah but still who wants to work with their ex right?" Simon replied. "Or their ex's new boyfriend for that matter."

The elevator stopped and Simon turned to leave but didn't. "Is she happy?" Simon asked, his back to Max as he froze leaving the elevator.

"Yeah," Max said. "I'm sure she is."

"I'm glad," Simon said, still facing away. Then he began walking and soon the elevator door closed, blocking Simon was Max's view as it continued going down to the main level.

Max wasn't totally sure what to make of that conversation. He was also very sure he didn't want to worry Zoey with it this week, unless of course she spotted him before then. Either way Max had lunch to pick up before going back to work.

Shaking his head in the hopes of clearing it, Max got out of the elevator once it stopped and headed to the soup and sandwich place around the corner.

He got back into the elevator about twenty minutes later carrying lunch and was once again up on their floor soon after that.

"Wonderful," Zoey said as she saw him. "I'm starving." She took the food from him and started eating. Max followed suit, trying not to think about his strange elevator experience.

"What's up with you?" Zoey asked as they were finishing their sandwiches.

"Nothing," Max replied too quickly. The moment he spoke he knew he was doomed. Somehow again he'd forgotten how good she was at seeing through him.

"Out with it," Zoey said, putting her hands on her hips and staring him down.

"I ran into someone in the elevator," Max admitted.

"Who?" Zoey asked.

"Simon."

"Oh," Zoey replied slowly. "That must have been strange for you."

"I was," Max answered, relieved.

"What did he have to say?" she asked.

"He had an interview, I think," Max continued. "Though he doesn't seem to want the job, plus he said he's glad you're happy."

"How does he know I'm happy?" Zoey snorted. "I mean I haven't spoken to the guy since he dumped me what… four years… no more like six. Damn time flies."

"He may have asked if you were happy and I may have told him yes," Max mumbled.

"That's fine I guess," Zoey shrugged. "I mean it wasn't like you were lying. Still strange to just see him like that randomly."

"Right!" Max agreed. "And this week of all times."

"Why this week?" Zoey asked.

"I mean cause of the promotion thing," Max backtracked as fast as he could. "What if they were interviewing him to be our new boss."

"Oh that would suck!" Zoey groaned. "Gods I hope that isn't it."

"Me too," Max agreed.

The conversation thankfully made its way back to work after that and Max was able to relax.

After work they went home for a quiet night in. Zoey picked a movie and they settled in on the couch. Movie nights as a couple were so much better than when they'd sat so far apart on the sofa. Max loved curling up under a blanket with her wrapped up in his arms. It was the same at night when he slept. After almost two years waking up beside her, Max wasn't sure if he'd ever sleep the same without her.

Friday morning dawned warm and bright. Zoey was so excited about the announcement at work today, Max didn't have to worry even a little that she was suspicious of him.

When they arrived at work, everything was busy as usual apart from Zoey theorizing how they were going to announce it. Then again as far as this week was concerned that was pretty much the usual as well. Max smiled and nodded at the appropriate places but she's been over the same points so many times now he hardly needed to listen.

"I'm boring you, aren't I?" Zoey said, breaking out of her pattern.

"If I say yes will you still love me?" Max answered, with a smile.

"If I'm being annoying just tell me," Zoey sighed. "You don't have to martyr yourself and just take it."

"I like the sound of your voice," Max shrugged. "Even if I wasn't totally listening anymore."

"Good," Zoey replied. "At least you have the common sense to tune me out when I get annoying."

"You are never annoying," Max began, but she cut him off with a huff. "Okay I'm never annoyed by you," he rephrased.

"Still seems unlikely," Zoey said, narrowing her eyes.

"Do you really think I'd have made it through-" He paused to count. "-over nineteen years as your best friend and two are your boyfriend if I hadn't learned to love your annoying habits?"

"Well when you put it like that," Zoey mumbled.

Laughing, Max leaned in to peck her on the cheek before turning to his work.

"I must insist you refrain from such behaviour at work," Joan's voice made them both turn.

"He started it!" Zoey said, instantly throwing him under the bus.

"Oh thanks," Max chuckled.

Joan seemed very uninterested in who started it and changed the subject at once. "Zoey," she said. "Can I see you in my office for a moment?"

"Ah yeah sure," Zoey replied, getting up off her stool to follow Joan down the hall.

Hoping he hadn't just gotten his girlfriend in trouble and silently planning how he could remind Joan that she knew they were dating when she hired them, Max got back to work.

Twenty minutes later Zoey reappeared, looking a little stunned.

"Everything okay?" Max asked. She didn't speak, just sat down beside him and stared forward. Max waved a hand in front of her face. "Hello, earth to Zoey, come in Zoey."

"I got the promotion," Zoey said in a small voice.

"That's great!" Max exclaimed, pulling her in for a hug. She hugged him back, but without much energy.

"Okay so why aren't you more happy?" Max accused her.

"It's nothing," Zoey said with a smile and a shake of her head. Max narrowed his eyes at her, but decided it could wait till they got home. Best not to get in trouble twice in one day for bringing their personal life to work.

For the rest of the day Zoey had her nose to the grindstone. Max didn't have to worry at all that she was trying to figure him out. In fact, she barely even looked away from her laptop.

By the time they left work, Max was starting to worry something was actually wrong. They drove in silence home and walked silently up the stairs to their second floor apartment.

As soon as they entered the apartment, Zoey went to their room to change out of her work clothes and into her comfy clothes like she did everyday. Max followed her which in itself wasn't unusual, but instead of changing his clothes as well, Max spoke.

"Now will you tell me what's wrong?" Max asked gently.

"Noth-"

"And don't you dare say nothing," Max cut her off. "You've barely said a word since you found out about the promotion."

"I never even considered that I'd get it," Zoey said in a small voice.

"That's because you're modest," Max smiled at her. "I on the other hand suspected it might be you."

"You did!?" Zoey exclaimed. "Really? Why?"

"Because you are good at getting others motivated," Max explained. "You know how the group dynamics work and are really good at troubleshooting problems. I've always thought you were wasted as just another coder."

"I didn't know you felt that way," Zoey said, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around him.

"I've known your career would outshine mine since we were kids," Max chuckled.

"How do you figure that?" Zoey said, sounding annoyed as she broke the hug. "Just cause I was faster at my homework?"

"That and other little things," Max smiled back. "You are more driven than me."

"So what you're saying is that you don't think me being your boss will affect our relationship?" Zoey asked in a small voice and suddenly Max knew exactly what had been bothering her all day.

"Everything has an affect," Max told her, placing his hand on her chin to make her look up. "But it won't break us if that's what you're worried about."

"But won't it be weird for you?" Zoey asked. "Having your girlfriend as your boss."

Max just laughed. "Zoey you've been bossing me around my entire life, what makes you think doing it at work will change anything?"

"Have I?" Zoey asked, looking ashamed.

"Who made us drink wine at your brother's wedding?" Max reminded her with a raised eyebrow.

"Okay so maybe one time-"

"And who instructed me to date Autumn?" Max continued. "And then bugged me until I told her the one thing I'd ever kept from her our entire lives?"

"Okay so that was me too, but this is different," Zoey tried again. "Now I'm going to be your boss, not just your bossy friend."

"Bossy girlfriend," Max corrected her with a smile. She made to speak again, but he cut her off with a finger over her lips. "It will be fine. You being the boss of me isn't gonna scare me off, Zoe."

"Promise?" Zoey mumbled through his finger.

Max sighed deeply before turning away for a moment and running his fingers through his hair. Coming to a decision, Max opened the bottom drawer of his dresser and dug around in it until he found a small red box. Standing up, Max hid the box in his hand before turning to face Zoey.

"I had this whole big thing planned," Max began. "As you are probably aware tomorrow is the second anniversary of us living together. We have reservations at your favourite restaurant. I even got my best suit pressed and everything." He paused moving slowly closer to her. "I've spent most of the week trying not to let you see through my surprise and here I go ruining it."

Max got down on one knee and held out the box, opening it to reveal the ring inside.

"Whether you are my boss or my coworker or just some unemployed slob on my couch, I promise to spend the rest of my life with you," Max vowed. "Will you marry me?"

At this point Zoey's hands were up covering her mouth in a very feminine display of shock. Max himself was rather surprised she hadn't seen through him, though he was glad of it also.

"Yes," Zoey's voice was small but sure.

The elation Max felt in that moment was not something he could describe. After placing the ring on his fiancee's finger, Max reached forward and pulled her in for a fierce hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did everyone think about how that proposal worked out? ^_^
> 
> Also only two more chapters left guys! I am so finishing this before xmas. Also if anyone is interested I started a new Malec story since this one is almost over. (I also have a new Clace story in the works) I usually write for the Mortal Instruments with occasional exceptions (like Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist) when I find inspiration.  
> \--------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 16
> 
> Apart from wedding planning, his life hadn't actually changed a whole lot. Though he supposed his co-workers did treat him a little different now that they knew he went home with the boss everyday.
> 
> At first they were consoling him on having been passed over for his girlfriend. Then when it came out that they'd gotten engaged people started to make dirty jokes about him 'sleeping' with the boss. Still it wasn't that bad. Usually Max rolled his eyes if he had no particularly good come back to throw their way.
> 
> Max's favourite part about being in a relationship with the boss was when he got to kiss her in front of his co-workers. She usually blushed and his co-workers usually grumbled and it never failed to make his day.


	16. Spring/Summer 2017

Spring/Summer 2017

Zoey took to leadership like a fish to water. Less than a year running the place and already it felt like she'd always been in charge. And even planning the wedding had turned out not to be as big a hassle as Max had expected. That is once he'd convinced Zoey not to try and elope.

"Don't you want your family there?" Max had asked her when she'd first brought up the idea.

"This is about you and me," Zoey had replied. "We'll send them pictures."

"This is about us being family," Max countered. "Which includes all of them."

"Eloping will be easier," Zoey had tried next. "Not to mention cheaper."

"What's this really about Zoey?" he'd asked, sensing that her arguments weren't really the point at all.

"You know- I mean-" Zoey sighed. "It's not like dad can walk me down the aisle anyway."

"Have you thought that maybe your mother would like that honour?" Max had offered with a smile.

After that Zoey never brought up eloping again to which Max was glad. If the options were don't marry Zoey or eloping he would have eloped but only marginally. Max wanted to stand up in front of everyone he knew and make his vows. He wanted it to feel real. He'd waited for this moment his entire life and he wasn't about to shorten it.

Apart from wedding planning, his life hadn't actually changed a whole lot. Though he supposed his co-workers did treat him a little different now that they knew he went home with the boss everyday.

At first they were consoling him on having been passed over for his girlfriend. Then when it came out that they'd gotten engaged people started to make dirty jokes about him 'sleeping' with the boss. Like he hadn't been sleeping with her before. The thought almost made him laugh. In fact, taking the term sleeping literally, Max never slept well anymore without her. Not that his co-workers needed to know that.

Max's favourite part about being in a relationship with the boss was when he got to kiss her in front of his co-workers. She usually blushed and his co-workers always grumbled and it never failed to make his day.

Then there were the times when he got to come to the bosses rescue. Like when she'd forgotten her briefing notes at home and he'd gone to get them for her just in time for the meeting.

"You know sometimes I think you are too reliable," Zoey told him at home that evening after her big meeting was a huge success.

"No such thing," Max replied.

"Maybe I should phrase it differently," Zoey said. "Sometimes I think I rely on you too much."

"My answer to that is the same," Max smiled at her. "Not possible."

"No but really," Zoey sighed, moving closer to hold his arm. "Won't you come to resist it if I am constantly needing things from you."

The idea made Max laugh though he knew she would take this the wrong way so he quickly explained. "I love that you rely on me," Max told her. "Makes me feel needed."

"Silly of course I need you," Zoey said, playfully hitting his shoulder.

"I know," Max beamed at her. "What you need to remember is that I rely on you too," Max told her with a gentle tap on her nose as he spoke.

Zoey rolled her eyes. "As if," she said.

"I'm afraid we'll have to agree to disagree on this point, my love," Max smiled at her.

"Okay then give me an example?" Zoey replied, with the air of calling one's bluff.

"I don't sleep well when you aren't asleep beside me," Max began. "So I need you to get a good night's sleep. I'd really hate to pay the rent of his apartment by myself so I need your help with our cost of living as well. Even if I do the cooking you are far better at cleaning than me and who knows what this apartment would look like without you." He paused to lean forward and kiss her before making his last point. "And then there is the simple fact that I would be miserable without you."

"I said one example," Zoey grumbled. Max just laughed.

"How can I give one when there are so many?" Max grinned at her. "I can keep going if you'd like."

"No that's okay," Zoey sighed. "I concede defeat."

"Excellent!" Max chuckled, reaching out to wrap his arms around his fiancee. "What's my prize?"

"Being relied on more," Zoey said, narrowing her eyes.

"Deal," Max laughed. Then he leaned in and kissed her.

"So what's for dinner oh useful one?" Zoey asked.

"Whatever Zoey's heart desires," Max replied, with as much over the top romantic drama he could muster.

"With that attitude I'll order pizza," Zory scoffed.

"How about stir fry?" Max laughed. Zoey seemed fine with that so Max got to cooking.

Later as they were eating, Zoey's phone went off. Rather than a phone call, it seemed to be an alarm, because seconds later she reacted.

"Oh shit I forgot to send the photographer a deposit," Zoey groaned. She jumped up, as she added. "And we'll lose the date if we delay even another day!"

"I already paid the photographer," Max said grinning.

"See this is what I meant," Zoey sighed as she sat back down again. "Too reliable."

"It's it a groom's job to make the wedding planning process as easy as possible?" Max asked.

"I thought it was the bride's job to make everything as complicated and crazy as possible?" Zoey replied, with a laugh.

"I like mine better," Max grinned.

"So I take it this means you called the cake lady too?" Zoey asked next. "And the flower shop wanted fabric samples."

"Done and done," Max smiled at her. "Who said planning a wedding had to be hard?"

"With you around it's certainly not," Zoey laughed. "Still expensive though."

"True," Max agreed. "But worth it."

"I don't know," Zoey said, but she was smiling. "The more bills we get the more I think eloping would have been cheaper."

Max feigned an expression of horror. "And disappoint poor Maggie who's spent all year landscaping her yard for you!"

"Yeah yeah I know," Zoey chuckled. "So movie tonight?"

"As if you need to ask," Max scoffed, before walking over to their rather substantial dvd collection.

Even with the wedding only months away there wasn't a whole lot left to do. Choosing a venue had been easy, since Maggie wanted nothing more than to decorate her yard for the occasion. The caterers were all organized and the guests all invited. They were planning a small wedding, which Zoey liked the price of and Max liked the intimacy of. It was still sometimes a wonder to him how many things they'd agreed on for the wedding. He heard most couples fought over venues or setting a date or even something as simple as the menu, but he and Zoey hadn't really needed to. Each was more than willing to relinquire power over what the other truly wanted and everything since had been an easy compromise.

Time has a funny way of both slowly down and speeding up when something you are really looking forward to approaches. The weather warmed as the days passed and spring turned to summer.

The morning of July 17th 2017 dawned warm and bright. Max spent the morning in a state of excitement since he'd been unable to sleep in. He knew the girls were all in hair and make up till noon, but the guys had only been asked to put on suits. Max smiled as he remembered Zoey complaining about the unevenness of this just last week.

Thanks to a certain tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding, Max had slept alone last night at his parents house which meant he hadn't slept all that well. Still it didn't matter since he doubted the excitement of today would allow him to become sleepy. Max was running on adrenaline today. He knew he'd sleep like a baby tonight with his wife in his arms.

Lief, Tobin and Andrew were Max's side of the wedding party while Emily, Joan and their neighbour Mo were Zoey's. They'd made baby Mitch their ring bearer but hadn't really been able to find a flower girl so they'd decided to pre-scatter flowers.

Max stood beside the altar waiting to see his beautiful bride walk towards him. It had only been yesterday afternoon that he'd last seen her and yet he missed her. Just the anticipation of seeing her had a smile permanently on his face.

Rather than stare like a stone at the spot down the hall where he knew she'd appear, Max looked out into the crowd at all the people they'd invited to witness their vows today. Some were crying, but most looked slightly bored. He couldn't blame them. After all this wasn't their special day. It was his.

Maggie had done a beautiful job getting the space ready. A raised platform had been set up at the front with chairs facing it. Smooth stepping stones had been laid out for the bride to walk down. Zoey had called them both decorative and practical. Outside each row of chairs Maggie had planted rose bushes to match the wedding colours. They were all in bloom and quite stunning to set eyes on. The altar had flowers, matching the ones in Zoey's bouquet, tucked into the white weave of the arch. A wooden pergola covered the tables for the reception on the other side of the outdoor space. Ivy wines were inching up the sides of them, providing the perfect amount of shade without making it too dark.

Max had no attention to spare the scenario, the moment Zoey appeared. The rest of the world blurred into the background as his gaze fixed completely on her. He couldn't help but think that this was why grooms never got to see their brides before the wedding. He didn't have words for the emotions of joy and love that overcame him in that moment. The entire dress was an elegant creme color that somehow made Zoey's face look as flawless as porcelain and accentuated the slight flush to her cheeks. Her hair fell in soft curls over the tiny spaghetti straps that held up the chiffon draped top. Just below her bosom a silk ribbon wrapped around the front and tied in the back, dropping down to form a delicate train that followed behind her. The ruching on the top accentuated her fine curves and made Max's lips part slightly in awe. The front was floor length and the slightly high empire waist gave her the illusion of being taller than she really was. Overall the dress was simple and elegant. Max couldn't help but stare as she walked slowly towards him, grateful to every step along the road that had brought them here.

And then she stood before him. Maggie placed her daughter's hand into his as they stood facing each other at the altar.

"We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses to join Zoey Clake and Max Richman in matrimony," the officiant began. "A vow not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly." He paused, then added that the bride and groom had prepared their own vows. Zoey went first.

"It's funny but I don't actually remember the day I met you," Zoey's vow began. "I can't claim love at first sight or any of that fairy tale stuff but this feels like a fairy tale to me because I was lucky enough to fall in love with my best friend. For as long as I can remember you were with me, there for me. The solid ground beneath my feet, you held me together. So today I promise to do the same for you, to stand by your side in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to love and to cherish you - as my best friend and my husband - for as long as we both shall live."

"Now repeat after me," the officiant said, holding out a ring to Zoey. "With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands."

Zoey said the words back and then slipped the ring on Max's left hand.

Next it was Max's turn.

"One of my earliest memories is of you asleep in my lap," Max began his vows. "Everything around me is a blurr, but you are in sharp focus. The center of my everything then and even more so now. You are my world and I will forever be grateful to be your orbiting moon. Today I promise to never lose faith in us, to stand by your side in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, to love and to cherish you - as my best friend and my wife - for as long as we both shall live."

"Now repeat after me," the officiant said, holding out a ring to Max. "With this ring, I thee wed, and with it, I bestow upon thee all the treasures of my mind, heart, and hands."

Once again he said the words back and then slipped the ring on Zoey's left hand.

"By the power vested in me," the officiant continued. "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss."

Before Max had time to move, Zoey was already upon him, making it more of a kiss the groom situation but he didn't care one bit. Overwhelmed with joy, Max wrapped his arms around his wife and lifted her up into the air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So was that adorable? I was going for adorable. Also thanks to Connie Brown for helping me with the wedding and dress description.  
> Only one chapter left guys!  
> \---------------------------------------  
> Sneak Peek Chapter 17
> 
> "Thank you," Zoey smiled at him. "I do really miss work though. I guess I just want to have my cake and eat my cake."
> 
> "You know I'd do anything for you, honey, but even I can't arrange a paradox for you," Max chuckled.
> 
> "Just keep your phone on you today, okay?" Zoey said firmly.
> 
> "Won't leave my pocket," Max replied. "Promise."
> 
> "Okay," Zoey said, taking a deep breath. "I guess I'm going to work."


	17. 2020

2020

Max watched and Zoey checked the fridge again. Then went around the room inventorying the laundry baskets. Then she checked the pantry and filled the sanitizer machine on the kitchen counter.

"Once this finishes running you should have enough to last the day," Zoey said as she turned on the now fully loaded sanitizer.

"And if not I do know how to use it," Max smiled at her.

"Oh and her favourite blanket is in our bedroom," Zoey said, thoughtfully counting off on her fingers like she was running over a checklist. "It's just that it might be hard to find. Somehow it ends up in the strangest places-"

"Everything is gonna be fine," Max told her for what was probably the hundredth time that morning.

"You have my lists right?" Zoey said, anxiously. "And mom's number." Max nodded. "And food, and music's set and-" She continued to mumble to herself.

"You said you were ready to go back," Max reminded her.

"I know, I know," Zoey groaned. "And I am, it's just-"

"Hard to leave?" Max finished her sentence for her. Zoey nodded.

He leaned in to kiss her sweetly on the cheek before saying softly. "We will be here when you get back," Max told her lovingly. "And if you find you'd really rather be home we can make that work too."

"Thank you," Zoey smiled at him. "I do really miss work though. I guess I just want to have my cake and eat my cake."

"You know I'd do anything for you, honey, but even I can't arrange a paradox," Max chuckled.

"Just keep your phone on you today, okay?" Zoey said firmly.

"Won't leave my pocket," Max replied. "Promise."

"Okay," Zoey said, taking a deep breath. "I guess I'm going to work."

After another round of kisses for everyone, Zoey put on her coat and left out the front door.

"Just you and me now," Max told the baby in his arms. "But Momma will be back so don't you worry."

His daughter made a squawking noise as if she disagreed with her father's sentiment. Then she began to cry.

"I know I'm not as good as mommy," Max continued to talk over the baby's cries. "But you're stuck with me all day so best to make the most of it. I'm really not that bad you know."

"Waahaaaaaaa," was all the answer he got.

Zoey must have heard because seconds later the door opened and there was mommy, looking worried. The moment her mother came into view, Valerie stopped crying.

"She is never gonna get used to you leaving if you keep coming back?" Max reminded his wife.

"I know," Zoey said, reaching forward to scoop their daughter out of his arms. "I just couldn't leave hearing her crying."

"She's gonna cry when you leave for a while," Max said kindly. "Can't blame the kid either. If I didn't know you were coming back, I'd cry too."

"Haha," Zoey replied, not looking up from the child in her arms.

"Silly mommy thinks I'm joking," Max told his daughter in his recently acquired baby talk voice. He moved closer to them and kissed the top of his daughter's head then his wife's lips.

"It will take time," Max said. "Everytime you leave and come back she will get a little better at knowing that you will come back."

"I know," Zoey sighed. She too kissed the top of Valerie's head, then slowly placed the baby in Max's arms and turned and dashed out the door.

"Shhh," Max tried to sooth his daughter as mommy disappeared from sight. "It's okay. Mommy always comes back." Valerie however cared not for her father's words and screamed at the top of her lungs to protest her mother's departure.

Collecting a sanitized soother from the counter, Max offered it to his daughter, who eventually took it into her mouth and stopped crying.

"Now isn't that better?" Max asked the infant, gently rocking her back and forth in his arms just slightly in an effort to calm her. "It's not so bad being stuck here with daddy is it?"

Max decided to take her lack of screaming as an affirmative. He was trying not to take it personally that his daughter so greatly preferred her mother over him. After all, Valerie hadn't spent nine months inside his body. How was she supposed to know he was her parent too unless he made it clear to her. Since Valerie's birth Max had been doing his best to show her this, but as long as mommy was around his daughter had eyes for no other.

"Then again how can I blame you for that?" Max smiled at his baby girl. "Mommy is rather amazing, isn't she?"

Max began walking back and forth down the hall, rocking the baby as he went. This seemed to be the scenario she liked best. He knew she'd be hungry again in a few hours, but for now it was just about keeping her calm and happy.

Such a simple thing, walking and rocking, and yet it was somehow relaxing. Even today, Max could hardly believe the overwhelming love he'd felt the first time he'd held Valerie. So fragile and helpless and his. She'd instantly taken over his heart, in a way not even her mother ever had.

Max could hardly believe how much she'd grown in the six months since she'd been born. It wasn't like he'd really seen a difference day by day, but thinking back to when they'd first brought her home and looking at her now was quite something. Max liked to think Valerie looked more like her mother than him, even if she had his dark brown hair and eyes. There was something about the way she looked at him with those eyes that reminded Max of his wife.

Despite Zoey's reluctance to leave, Max knew they'd made the right decision about who went back to work. Zoey had always been move motivated, more ambitious than him and these long months stuck at home had been hard on Zoe. She'd done stir crazy at least once and started coding in the living room while breastfeeding. The thought made Max chuckle. Zoey had actually been working part time from home for a few weeks now, though Max could easily see how much she missed her leadership role back at the office.

For this and the simple reason that she made more money than him, it had been obvious who would stay home with Valerie once their family leave was over. Max loved spending time with his daughter. Even when she was crying with snot coming out of her nose, Valerie was still beautiful. Max hoped one day to talk Zoey into a second child, hopefully this time one with their mother's beautiful red hair, not that he had any control over that. And appearance wasn't everything. Max could already see his wife's spirit behind the eyes of their six month old and guessed that as she grew up he'd be able to pick out more and more ways she was like his Zoey.

Just then the phone rang and Valerie decided this wasn't a good thing. She pushed her soother out and began to cry. Wishing he'd put his phone on silent mode, Max reached into his pocket to answer it.

"Everything is fine," he said to whoever it was on the other side as he'd been too occupied with the crying infant to bother checking the caller ID.

"Then why is the baby crying?" Maggie's voice yelled back over Valerie's screams.

"She didn't like the phone ringing," Max replied loudly. "But I promise she was perfectly happy before. Give me one second." And he put the phone down to focus on the baby.

"Shhhh, it's okay Val," Max tried to sooth her. "Shhhhh, silly grandma didn't mean to interrupt your quiet time and foolish daddy is gonna put his phone on vibrate only from now on. Shhhh shhhhh."

After a little more rocking and gentle bouncing, Max had her screams down to sniffles. Picking up the soother and putting it back in her mouth had the effect of completely settling the baby back into his arms. Valerie now lay face down against his shoulder, looking out at the world behind him, as she sucked on her now less than sanitized soother.

"Okay sorry about that Maggie," Max said as he picked up the phone again. "What's up?"

"Just wanted to check and see how you were doing," Maggie replied.

"Did Zoey put you up to this?" Max asked, suspiciously.

"Nope all me, promise," Maggie replied, in a cheerful voice.

"Well that's good at least."

"I was just worried you'd be, well, I don't know, resentful- no that isn't the right word- bored? Unhappy?" Maggie kept trying to find what she meant to say. "Or something similar about being stuck at home all day."

"We've had this conversation before," Max sighed at his mother-in-law, though he was smiling, not that she could see his expression through the phone.

"I know," Maggie answered quickly. "I just wanted to make sure reality matched up with your expectation."

"My expectations were to grow old watching the woman I love with another man," Max said cheerfully. He was messing with her even if this had actually been true at one time, it wasn't like he ever thought about it anymore.

"Now don't you get cheeky with me," Maggie replied, sounding annoying but Max could only chuckle. "You know what I meant."

"Yeah yeah," Max answered, as he gently stroked his daughter's back to keep her calm. "You got nothing to worry about." There was a pause in which Max could sense Maggie didn't quite believe him. "Really! I love being home with Valerie."

"Alright," Maggie sighed. "But if you change your mind my offer still stands."

"Oh I see what this is really about," Max grinned. "You want to banish me to work and have baby Val all to yourself."

"I'm just saying retired people really don't have much else to do," Maggie added. "Mitch is getting so big he'd rather be with his new school friends than his grandma."

"You make it sound like he's a teenager or something," Max laughed. "Mitch is only six." Maggie mumbled something back that Max couldn't quite understand, but he got the gust. Grandma was being neglected.

"How about this?" Max offered. "Once Zoey is settled and sure she wants to be back at work, we'll talk about maybe me joining her part time."

"Leaving me to watch the baby?" Maggie confirmed, hopefully.

"Of course," Max smiled, trying to put the smile on his face into his voice.

Max was very fond of his mother-in-law. Having been part of his life for as long as Max could remember, in many ways Maggie felt more like a second mother to him than an in-law.

Just then Val started wiggling and Max had to say goodbye and hang up the phone to use two hands to hold her.

"What's got you so excited all of a sudden?" Max asked his infant daughter who of course didn't reply. "I know just the solution for wiggles. It's tummy time!"

Walking over to her play area, Max gently placed Valerie face down on her mat. Max lay down beside her as he watched her use the muscles in her neck and limbs to wiggle around on her stomach. Max jingled and jangled interesting looking and sounding toys in her line of sight as she got her exercise for the day. He loved watching her expressions as she moved, her smiles and squeezes of glee captivated Max's attention. He couldn't help talking to her as well though he knew she couldn't answer yet. It was strange but somehow impossible to stop. MAx couldn't help but wonder why adults felt so compelled to talk to babies who can't reply.

It was during tummy time that Zoey texted him to check how things were. Max replied in great detail, explaining what they'd done so far today and how Valerie was doing. He knew that was what Zoe wanted more than a quick 'everything's fine' text reply.

When the wiggles were all out of her, and Valerie laid her head to rest on the mat, Max knew she would be hungry. Keeping an eye on her from the kitchen, Max got a bottle ready. Zoey in her over-preparedness had pumped more breast milk than one baby could drink in a day and there was back up formula as well. Valerie greatly preferred the beast milk however and that was what Max brought her. He heated it up gently in warm water and tested the temperature on the inside of his wrist before returning to offer it to his daughter. When he returned Valerie was starting to get cranky. Max lifted her up into his strong arms and offered her the bottle. She took it and instantly focused all her attention on eating, crying and wiggling forgotten.

As she ate, Max walked over to the folded pile of clean laundry Zoey had left in the corner. He collected a burping cloth then sat down on the couch and watched Valerie finish eating.

"You were hungry weren't you?" Max smiled at her, as she finished the bottle.

Throwing the cloth over his shoulder, Max laid Valerie there as well, gently tapping her back until she burped. By the time she did so, Valerie's eyes were starting to close.

Lifting her slowly and carefully so as not to alarm her, Max carried his daughter to his bedroom and placed her in the crib beside his bed. By the time he laid her down, she was already fast asleep.

This would usually be a good time to clean up or do laundry, but thanks to his wife's flustered preparations these last few days before she went to work again, there really wasn't anything that needed to be done around the house. Max went to make himself a sandwich for lunch, then returned to eat it in his bedroom, as he watched his daughter sleep. He wasn't sure why it was so wonderful to watch her navigate dreamland and yet from the first day they'd brought her home, Max had not been able to stop himself. He studied her face, and watched to make sure she was breathing evenly. Time would pass and he wouldn't worry.

When Zoey got home that night, Valerie had just woken up from her second nap of the day. Before even greeting her husband, Zoey ran right to her daughter and scooped the baby into her arms.

"Oh I missed, missed, missed you," Zoey giggled, burying her face in her daughter tummy.

"And how was work?" Max asked, smiling at his family.

"Really great," Zoey said, with genuine happiness as she turned to look at him. "I hadn't realized how much I'd missed it."

"Ah but you didn't miss, miss, miss it correct?" Max read between the lines. "So does that mean you've decided you'd rather be at home."

"No," Zoey said firmly. "I figured out, I wanna work. I just love coming home to my family after work is over."

"That's fair," Max smiled at her, moving closer to put his arm around Zoe and kissed the top of Valerie's head.

"How was your afternoon with her?" Zoey asked. She already knew exactly how the morning had gone, from their mid-day texting.

"Perfect," Max smiled. "Oh one thing I didn't tell you earlier, I think your mother wants more time with Val." Max chuckled. "She's got baby withdrawals since Mitch started school."

"Noted," Zoey laughed. "We'll find some time for her to come over and get in some cuddles."

"Actually," Max smiled. "I was thinking of asking my boss if she wanted me to work a couple days a week with her, you know to give grandma some baby minding time."

"Oh were you now?" Zoey chuckled.

"So what does my boss say?" Max asked, leaning in to kiss his wife before she could answer.

"I think that sounds like a good idea," Zoey mumbled, her eyes still closed as Max pulled away.

"Maggie will be so happy," Max laughed.

"And what about you?" Zoey asked, her eyes open again and looking curiously at him.

"I will admit I miss work a little," Max replied. "Though not enough to go back full time. This actually works out perfectly."

"You haven't once mentioned missing work this whole time!" Zoey accused him. "I know that isn't it."

"Okay okay," Max surrendered. "Maybe I miss working with my wife." Zoey seemed much more satisfied with this answer.

Max couldn't keep a smile off his face as he enjoyed the evening with his family. Zoey told him all about her day at work and how their new project was doing. Max made spaghetti for dinner and they all watched a movie though very quietly once Valerie fell asleep in his arms.

Fin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading my Max/Zoey story! I hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> Even though the date here is set for 2020 I didn't want to include any covid-19 plots in this chapter as it is the end. Let's just say they self-isolated, coded from home and weren't negatively affected by the pandemic. ^_^
> 
> I never really mentioned where this story takes place, but as I live in Canada I tend to set all my stories there, mostly because I know nothing about what living in America would be like and it would just turn out funny. :)
> 
> If you liked this story I'll encourage you to try some of my other stories. I mostly write in the fandom 'The Mortal Instruments' aka Shadowhunters, but I also have Glee stories, one for Vampire Diaries and others. My stories do have one thing in common though; they are all romances. So if you like the way I write romance, check out my profile and see if there's another story that interests you. All but a couple of my really early stories are AUs and can be enjoyed without knowing the canon.
> 
> *Super crazy excited for the Season 2 premiere January 5th!*


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